Steaming Lobster: The Best Way to Cook a Lobster

FultonFishMarket.com provides lobster of the highest caliber, sustainably sourced and taste-tested to ensure the epitome of taste and quality. For those new to lobster, we have pulled together easy-to-follow instructions for steaming, one of the best ways to cook both live and frozen lobster.

For many lobster lovers, steaming lobster is a rite of passage -- the final step in the time-honored process of lobstering and all its rich tradition. You, too, can partake in the comfort of your own home, by ordering fresh lobster delivered right to your door. You can steam lobster whether it’s live or frozen, and we’ve detailed how to steam lobster for both below: 

Prepare to steam your lobsters by gathering all of the equipment you'll need to cook and serve your lobsters. Whether you're using frozen or live lobsters, you'll need the following:

• Pot large enough to fit the lobsters without crowding so the steam can circulate around them freely
• Steamer basket
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Wooden skewers
• Mallet
• Lobster (fresh or frozen)

Purchasing frozen lobster is a great way to keep lobster on-hand for your next impromptu gathering. The steaming process enhances the lobster’s natural flavor and consistency, so you can use it for all your favorite lobster recipes. The process is simple: 

1. Thaw the lobster. First, thaw the lobster by placing it in the refrigerator overnight. Once the lobster has thawed, you can start steaming the lobster.
2.  Prepare the pot: Fill the pot with two inches of cold water. Then place the steamer basket on top of the pot. Next, cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. While the water is heating, start preparing your lobster.
3.  Prepare the lobster: On the cutting board, use the knife to remove the lobster's head. Discard the head, and skewer the tail.
4.  Cook the lobster: When the water reaches its boiling point, place the skewered lobsters in the steamer basket and cover. While steaming, gently shake the pot occasionally to ensure that the lobster cooks uniformly. The cooking time will vary by portion size:

• 0.75-lb to 1-lb: Steam 8 minutes
• 1-lb to 1.5-lb: Steam 10 minutes
• 1.5-lb to 2-lb: Steam 11 minutes

• Remove the meat: To remove the meat, first crack the lobster’s claws with a mallet. Then, use your hands to remove the claws, knuckles, and tails. Next, to prepare the tails, lay them on a work surface and press with your hands to crack the shells. Remove all lobster meat.

• Serve as desired. For ideas on how to serve lobster, check out our recipes, including our delicious Classic Lobster Boil recipe.
  
  

While some of us might associate steaming live lobsters with the crab scene from The Little Mermaid -- poor Sebastian the crab! -- the fortunate truth is that the lobsters do not feel pain while steaming since they are “frozen to sleep” just before cooking (see step 2 below). With this knowledge, you can sit back and enjoy succulent steamed lobster without any guilt, and your party guests may even want to join in the steaming process. We think you’ll find the process straightforward and easy:

1.  Store the lobster until cooking. You can typically store a live lobster for about 24 hours after it arrives at your doorstep. To store the lobster, wrap it in saltwater seaweed or newspaper and keep refrigerated. Make sure to use salt water, and do not ice or soak the lobsters.
2.  How to kill the lobster humanely: There is an easy, humane way to kill live lobsters! Just put the lobster in the freezer for 20 minutes before cooking. Freezing live lobsters has a sedative effect, so they do not feel pain when steamed.
3.  Prepare the pot: Fill the pot with two inches of cold water. Then place the steamer basket on top of the pot. Next, cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. While the water is heating, start preparing your lobster.
4.  Prepare the lobster: You can steam the lobster whole, or you can remove its tail or claws with a knife before steaming. Be sure to remove the lobster bands before steaming.
5.  Steam the lobster: Wondering how long to steam lobster? When the water reaches its boiling point, place the lobsters in the steamer basket and cover. While steaming, gently shake the pot occasionally to ensure that the lobster cooks uniformly. It is normal for the steaming process to produce a high-pitched sound. This is simply the sound of hot air being released from the lobster shells; the lobster is not in pain. When the lobster is finished steaming, remove them from the pot and rinse with cool water so they don’t continue cooking. Cooking time will vary by portion size:

• 1-lb to 1.25-lb: Steam 9 minutes
• 1.25-lb to 1.5-lb: Steam 10 minutes
• 1.5-lb to 2-lb: Steam 11 minutes
• 2-lb to 2.5-lb: Steam 13 minutes
• 2.5-lb to 3-lb: Steam 15-minutes
• 3-lb and up: Steam 17 minutes

• Remove the meat: To remove the meat, first crack the lobster’s claws with a mallet. Then, use your hands to remove the claws, knuckles, and tails. Next, to prepare the tails, lay them on a work surface and press with your hands to crack the shells. Remove all lobster meat.

• Serve the lobster: Serve the lobster with the garnish you desire and enjoy!
  
  

Seafood is best when it is fresh and handled properly. If you need to store live lobster, you can do so for up to one day. To store live lobster, place it in a shallow pan in the refrigerator. Then cover it with a damp cloth.

FultonFishMarket.com provides a range of lobster to meet your culinary needs, including: