How Long To Cook Crawfish

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From claws to tail, lobster is one of the most delicious shellfish around. Its sweet, tender meat works magic in a wide variety of recipes, whether you go with a classic, lobster-centric preparation like thermidor or add chunks of the meat to your favorite baked macaroni and cheese. Cooking lobster tin feel a scrap intimidating, but information technology's easier than you think to prep these elegant crustaceans and enjoy a gourmet repast. Here's what y'all demand to know about cooking lobster, forth with some of the tastiest means to prepare information technology.

Cooking a Lobster: The Basics

Ane of the best things about lobster is that it's totally delicious fifty-fifty when you keep things simple. Cooking this crustacean and serving the meat dipped in a lilliputian drawn butter is a classic mode to savour lobster, and in making it you'll acquire ane of the foundational elements of its preparation: boiling. No thing what recipe y'all're using it in, though, cooking and breaking it down properly are essential for a great meal.

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Cooking a lobster really starts with selecting a lobster, and it'due south important to selection the correct i. People often go for the biggest one available, which makes sense — who doesn't desire the nigh meat? Merely the larger the lobster is, the more likely it is to produce tougher, stringier meat because it's older. Instead of going for a ii+ pound lobster at the grocery market, stick to those that are one to 1.5 pounds. The meat will be softer and the crush thinner, which makes for easier (and tastier) cooking.

Boiling is the traditional method for cooking lobster, and information technology's actually relatively simple — it'southward generally all about timing. Information technology doesn't thing so much what pot size yous choose; just remember that every iv or 5 quarts will be enough for two lobsters. So, a 16-quart pot can safely cook four of the shellfish without letting things get as well crowded. You'll add a few tablespoons of salt to the water — both for flavor and for helping information technology oestrus faster — and bring it to a boil.

For every pound the lobster weighs, boil it for about 6 minutes, starting your timer when the water returns to a boil afterwards you've added the lobsters to information technology. Yous'll know they're washed when you give an antenna a gentle tug and it pops right off. For more tender meat, yous can also steam your lobster for 8 minutes per initial pound and three minutes for each actress pound thereafter.

Grilling and baking are also popular techniques for cooking lobster, and they infuse the meat with the smoky, charred flavors of summertime. You'll need to dispatch the lobster humanely — no tossing information technology into a pot with this technique. To do so, put your live lobster in the freezer for about 15 minutes and remove it. Find the cross-shaped markings on the lobster's head, and line up the tip of a large, sharp knife where they run across. In one swift move, plunge the knife downwards through the lobster's caput and downwards the eye of its body. You'll end up with two sections of lobster cut lengthwise.

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Lobster should exist grilled at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for virtually half-dozen to 8 minutes, or until the meat becomes opaque in the tail. Grill lobster trounce-side down, and requite the claw shells a quick crevice then the heat can enter. Brush the meat with butter or a marinade before grilling.

Go Crackin': Breaking Downwardly a Lobster

The side by side step in prepping your lobster is getting information technology out of the shell. If y'all've grilled it, you can simply serve the tail in the trounce, but if you demand to get the meat out, in that location's a process to follow.

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When the lobster is cool enough to handle, start by holding its body in your not-dominant manus. Pull each claw downward and towards the lobster's tail to break it off. You may need to twist it a bit. Gear up the torso aside. Pull the smaller "crusher" claw — information technology looks like the "thumb" section — dorsum and out from the main claw section. Using kitchen shears or a metal cracker, interruption the claw shells open and remove the meat from inside. And then, have the body in one hand and grasp the tail in the other. Twist the tail and pull it out from the body. With kitchen shears, cutting through the softer beat on the underside of the tail to the end and pull the meat out with a fork.

Set up the shells aside as you're working. If you're planning to make lobster bisque or another soup, boiling them to create stock imparts a lot of rich flavor.

Make Information technology This night: New England Lobster Rolls

Possibly the most archetype (and famous and delicious) way to serve lobster? In a New England lobster roll. It's prepared one of two ways: Y'all may often hear information technology chosen a "Maine" lobster scroll or a "Connecticut" lobster curlicue. One is served common cold, and the other is served hot, and both involve lobster meat piled high in soft, sweet, split-top hot canis familiaris buns. Preparation of the lobsters for both sandwiches is the aforementioned; you'll steam or eddy it and let it cool completely subsequently removing the meat from the shells.

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The Maine lobster whorl is served cold and dressed lightly with mayonnaise, sea salt and lemon juice. You lot'll break the meat into larger bite-sized pieces, save for the claws; leave these whole to add some pizzazz to your presentation. Add simply enough mayo to bind the lobster chunks together a little flake, and, if y'all prefer some crisis, toss in some chopped celery. Yous can have some fun experimenting with other add-ins like capers, but the traditional gyre keeps the flavor focused on the lobster itself, not garnishes.

The Connecticut lobster ringlet is served warm with the meat tossed in melted butter — and a little salt, paprika and lemon juice if yous desire. You lot'll extract and chop the meat in the same way, but information technology'due south a good idea to undercook the lobsters by a minute or 2 so that they don't become tough when you reheat them in the warm butter. You lot can too brush the split-top buns with butter, merely be sure to toast them first. When making either type of sandwich, place the whole claws on the top of the other meat for a gourmet expect.