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Everything You've Ever Wanted To Know About Lobster!

Lobster - it’s not just for broiling anymore! In addition to the traditional bisque and newburg, how about marinara, Asian-style, florentine (with spinach and white wine), stuffed, fra diavolo (with brandy and mustard), Americaine (with tomatoes, garlic and brandy), as part of a cold salad, a warm stew, a decadent club sandwich, a hot clambake or instead of the Canadian bacon eggs benedict. In Australia, we’ve eaten lobster salad with grilled pineapple and in Spain we enjoyed langosta con pollo (lobster and chicken tossed with hazelnuts, tomatoes and cocoa). More ideas - soufflé, pate, au gratin and poached in coconut milk. Got you thinking?

THE LOBSTER MARKET

First things first, though - we got to buy them before we think about how to prepare them. It will be an easy decision whether you are buying fresh or frozen - for fresh you either need a tank (lobsters can live about two days out of water, stored in the refrigerator packed in seaweed or damp paper, but that’s pushing it) or the ability to use them right away. Fresh lobster obviously comes in only one form - whole. This is an advantage if you make stock (the shells add a wonderful color and flavor) and if your menu allows you to use the all the lobster meat, the tomalley (the greenish-colored liver) and the coral (eggs found in the female).

Fresh lobster are classified by weight with the most popular being the quarters (1 ¼ pounds) and the selects (1 ½- 2 ¼ pounds). Jumbos are available at certain times of the year, but at 2 ½ pounds they may be cooked and not very flavorful. Rule of thumb for lobster calculations is a yield of ¼ pound of meat from a 1 pound whole lobster (explain that to the customers the next time they raise their eyebrows at the price).

LOBSTER DECISIONS

What type of lobster should you buy? The American lobster, also known as the Maine and the Northern is the one with the claws and is thought to have meat which is slightly sweeter and more tender than its cousin, the spiny lobster. The spiny lobster, also known as rock lobster or langouste, has no claws and tends to grow larger than the Northern. Availability will depend on season, harvest (although there are some lobster farms out there now) and your location.

Now is as good a time as any for a little lobster anatomy. Why do you have to be able to tell a girl lobster from a boy lobster? Because customers may request a female lobster, as it contains the flavorful coral. Look at the small legs (called swimmerets) under the lobster’s tail. If they are soft and flexible, then congratulations, it’s a girl! If the swimmerets are hard and inflexible, you’ve got the male of the species. This, of course, only works with live, whole lobsters (just thought we’d mention it).

If fresh lobster is not on the horizon, then chose frozen raw or cooked lobster meat - very versatile, easy to keep on hand. You can purchase frozen shell on or shell off whole tails, claws and lobster meat. Handle this as you would any frozen product - use FIFO (first in, first out rotation), ensure that the lobster is held at the correct temperature, and thawed quickly (under refrigeration). Canned lobster is also available and can be used as an ingredient in sauces, soups and fillings (as in seafood crepes or omelets).

LOBSTER PREP 101

To boil your fresh lobster, be sure to use a stock pot or kettle deep enough to cover; allow 1 quart of water for each pound of lobster. You can use seasonings, such as bay leaf, parsley stems, onion, pepper, cayenne, Old Bay seasoning and wine and vinegar to flavor the cooking liquid, which should be simmered for five minutes before cooking the lobster. Lobster can get tough so plan on boiling for only 5 minutes per pound. Remove from the water and shock it (submerge quickly in ice water to stop residual cooking) or serve immediately. If serving live lobster, you may want to remove the tomalley and mix it with toasted bread crumbs and seasonings and then replace it in the shell for service.

Before broiling either a fresh or frozen lobster, you may want to marinate it for at least an hour before cooking, as lobsters are relatively fat-free and can easily dry out. Marinate in wine, stock or court bouillon. Be prepared to baste with oil , stock or butter while broiling the lobster and serve as soon as it is removed from the heat.

Cooked lobster meat can be simmered in a soup or a sauce and can be used in sautéing (lobster stir-fry!), baking and stewing. If being used in a salad, frozen cooked lobster meat can be thawed in the frig and put right into the salad.

PUTTING IT ON THE TABLE

Okay - now that we’ve done the technical stuff, let’s talk about menu ideas.

Breakfast - it’s the most important meal of the day, isn’t it? So, how about a lobster and oyster- stuffed omelet, scrambled eggs with lobster and lobster sauce, lobster Florentine (poached lobster meat served on a bed of spinach atop a toasted crumpet or English muffin) or lobster and eggs (offer 2 ounces of sautéed lobster with eggs served prepared to the customer’s preference. A little high end, you say? Maybe so, and the restaurants we know that have added these items to their weekend and holiday menus are reaping the rewards of thinking that way!

Onto lunch - soup and sandwich. Offer the traditional lobster bisque or go for a lobster and corn chowder or a puree of sweet potato (flavored with ginger, leeks and garlic and using lobster stock) soup, with each bowl garnished with 2 ounces of lobster meat. A broiled lobster sandwich is fun and a lobster club is truly decadent. Purchase (or make yourself if you have the time) ravioli, cappelletti or tortellini stuffed with lobster, toss with your favorite sauce and you have a signature lobster lunch. Wolfgang Puck has his signature smoked duck pizza - make yours a broiled lobster pizza or calzone!

Dinner is the hour to allow your lobster to shine. Go with a simple, classic broiled lobster (be sure to season the tomalley) or steamed lobster tail. A lobster, shrimp and scallop newburg (the traditional sauce consists of heavy cream, sherry and a bit of lemon zest, cayenne, oregano and butter) served with pasta is a beautiful dish, as is lobster marinara (steamed lobster served with a garlic and wine-infused tomato sauce). Give your lobster an Asian influence by wok-cooking lobster meat in peanut oil with garlic, ginger, soy sauce and lotus root or Creole it with bay leaf, peppercorns, cayenne, Tabasco and tomatoes. Sauté lobster meat with prosciutto, curry it with coconut milk, cumin and turmeric or even form it into cakes flavored with dry mustard, onion and Worcestershire sauce.

For both lunch and dinner offer to replace the shrimp in the cocktail with lobster meat. Lobster salads (how about a lobster Caesar or a lobster Cobb) can go very high end with sautéed fresh lobster or a little less high end with canned lobster meat.

We think you get the idea. Everybody loves lobster and it can be very versatile if handled correctly. So give them what they want!

Nancy Berkoff, RD, EdD, CCE

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