Maine Lobster Recipe

Prepare lobster

If lobsters are live, keep them chilled until ready. Bring poaching liquid (see Cooking/Poaching Liquid) to a rolling boil in a large pot. Grasp each lobster behind the head and quickly but humanely place them headfirst into the boiling water. Cover, return to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle boil; cook 8–10 minutes for 1¼–1½ lb lobsters. Lobster shells should turn bright red. Remove lobsters and transfer to an ice bath for 2 minutes to stop cooking, then drain.

Split and extract meat

When cool enough to handle, place lobster belly-side down on a cutting board. Using kitchen shears or a sharp chef's knife, split down the center of the tail and through the body to expose meat. Twist off claws and knuckles. Crack claws and knuckles with a mallet or heavy knife to free meat. Remove tail meat in one piece by pushing from the bottom of the tail; rinse any shell fragments and pat meat dry with paper towels.

Make garlic-herb butter

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt 8 tbsp unsalted butter. Add minced garlic and warm over very low heat for 1–2 minutes until fragrant (do not brown). Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, chopped parsley, 1 tsp sea salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Reserve 4 tbsp of this butter for basting/serving and keep warm.

For the poaching liquid: combine 6 cups water, 2 tbsp coarse sea salt, 1 bay leaf and the halved lemon in a large pot. Bring to a rolling boil before adding the lobsters. This salted aromatic water seasons the lobster while it cooks. Discard bay leaf and lemon after cooking.

Warm and finish

Preheat the oven broiler (optional) to high if you want lightly browned top. Arrange prepared lobster tails and cracked claw meat on a rimmed sheet or in an ovenproof dish. Spoon or brush the reserved warm garlic-herb butter evenly over the meat. If broiling, place lobsters 4–6 inches from heat and broil 1–2 minutes until butter bubbles and edges lightly brown — watch closely to prevent burning.

Serve

Transfer lobsters to warmed plates. Drizzle with the additional 4 tbsp melted butter reserved for finishing. Sprinkle finely snipped chives or extra parsley on top and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing.

Notes: Adjust cooking times for larger lobsters (add about 3 minutes per additional ½ lb). Ensure garlic is warmed gently to avoid bitter, browned garlic. All ingredients used in sections correspond to the prepared components above.