Are lobsters only for special occasions? And what exactly is a special occasion, anyway?

Does it have to be tied to a date on the calendar? Or can a special occasion be any time we get the luxury of being with those we love… unencumbered by deadlines or other demands?

The lobsterfest we had with GP’s dad, (the kids call him “Papa”), a few weeks ago was one of those occasions. Nothing to celebrate, per se, except for the fact that Papa is 85 years-old and still kicking. Making it to 85 is worthy of a celebration, don’t you think? And there’s nothing he likes to eat more than lobster! (OK, maybe Chinese food.)

Cooking up a live lobster can be intimidating, so first, let me dispel a popular myth:
• Lobsters don’t scream when you drop them in boiling water. The sound you hear is air expanding the shell.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here are a few buying tips:
• Buy lobsters that are 3 lbs. or less. While there’s novelty in a 10 lb. lobster, the bigger they are, the tougher they are.
• The lobster should spread out its claws and flail around a bit when you pick it up (and eventually, you are going to have to pick it up).

Papa!

Once you’ve got the lobster home, here a few cooking tips:
• Drop the lobster head first into a pot of seasoned boiling water. It’s more humane and there will be less splashing.
• Drop the lobsters in one at a time so the water can then return to a full boil.

Okay, now you’re ready to cook ‘em up… so what’s your special occasion? Hey… it’s another Friday in Lent, and you can’t eat meat anyway—how about a lobster? (Papa would certainly agree!)

Live Lobster Cooking Directions
prep: 5 minutes
cook: depends on the weight of the lobster

you’ll need…
4 live lobsters
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt for each quart of water
let’s get to it…
Fill a large stock pot with enough water to cover the lobsters;  add the spices to the water. (If you don’t have a pot large enough to cook them all at the same time, you’ll have to cook them in batches.) Bring the water to a boil.
Hold the upper body of the lobster firmly and clip the rubber bands off the claws. Place it (don’t throw it!) in the boiling seasoned water, head first. Cover. Make sure the water returns to a boil.
Cook according to the weight of the lobster. The lobsters are cooked when the shell turns red, the tail is curled and an antenna comes out easily. Don’t overcook or they’ll be chewy!

• 1 lb. – 5 to 7 minutes
• 1¼ lb. – 8 to 10 minutes
• 1½ lb. – 10 to 12 minutes
• 2 lbs. – 12 to 15 minutes

Lift the cooked lobsters out of the water and cool enough to handle.
Twist off the claws and crack with a hammer or nutcracker to remove the meat.
Gently pull the tail from the body. Cut the cartilage on the tail with scissors and remove the meat.
Cut down the center of the body with a sharp knife or scissors and pick through to remove any remaining meat.
Serve with lemon and melted butter.

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