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Theresa
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 Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:21 am How to cook a lobster |
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| Quote: | There are many ways to cook and serve a fresh Maine Lobster. The traditional way that most people prepare lobster is to:
Steam
Put about 2 inches of seawater or salted fresh water in the bottom of a large kettle. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Put in the live lobsters, one at a time, grasping just behind the claws. Let the water boil again and begin timing. Allow 18 minutes for a 1- to 11/4-pound hard-shell lobster and 20 minutes for a 11/2-pound hard-shell lobster. If the lobster has a soft shell, reduce the cooking time by 3 minutes.
or
Boil
Place lobster in a large lidded pot. Fill a large kettle three-quarters full of seawater. If seawater is not available, add 2 tablespoons of salt for each quart of water. A good rule of thumb is to allow 21/2 quarts of water for each lobster. Bring the water to a boil. Put in the live lobsters one at a time and let the water boil again.
Lower the heat, cover the kettle, and simmer about 15 minutes for 1-to 11/4-pound hard-shell lobsters and 20 minutes for 11/2- to 2-pound hard-shell lobsters. Soft-shell lobsters take a little less time, so reduce the cooking time by 3 minutes. When the lobster is bright red and antennae pull out easily, the lobsters are done. Serve whole lobster, either hot or cold. For the ultimate taste, serve with a side dish of melted butter.
Lobster Weight Minutes
1 lb. to 1-1/4 lbs. 15 minutes
1-1/2 lbs. to 2 lbs. 17-20 minutes
2 lbs. to 3 lbs. 3 lbs.20-minutes
3 to 6 lbs. 24-28 minutes
6 to 7 lbs. 28-30 minutes
8 lbs. & up 4 minutes per pound
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Natira
The Cute One
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| Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:22 am |
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Uh, sorry Morphy, T read the PM. But atleast you'd know how to cook one now! 
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Theresa
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| Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:22 am |
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| Quote: | Is there a season for lobster?Legally, lobster fishermen may fish year round. However, most fishermen either do not fish in the winter, or they fish for other products such as shrimp and sea clams. Lobsters are least expensive in the summer when there are many people fishing and soft-shell lobsters are available.
How big do lobsters grow?
The largest lobsters that we know of or have seen have weighed 35 to 40 pounds. There have been lobsters known to be caught up to 45 LBS. Extra large lobsters usually find their way to museums or aquariums for future generations to enjoy.
How old is the oldest lobster?
It's hard to tell what the oldest lobster is since they shed their shells at least once a year. The shell is the only way to gauge the exact age of a lobster. Although only speculation, some believe that lobsters in unfarmed areas can reach as much as 20 years in age. These areas can be as far out as 30 miles off the coast of Maine. The combination of rocky coast and strong wave action help keep this purification process in check. This is one reason why lobsters from Maine are the sweetest and most succulent in the world.
How long does it take for them to grow?
It takes lobsters an average of 5 to 7 years (depending on the water temperature) to grow to legal size, and they grow more slowly as they get larger. Therefore a lobster that weighs 3 pounds is approximately 15-20 years old, and a 25-pound lobster would be approximately 75-100 years old.
Why are lobster shells different colors?
Lobsters have different pigments in their shells and come in a variety of colors. Fishermen have been known to bring in blue, yellow, red and spotted live lobsters. Usually, when lobsters are hard-shelled, their shells are a darker color. Also, when you cook hard-shell lobsters, their shells will turn a brick red color and sometimes black, whereas soft-shelled lobsters, when cooked, are a bright red color.
What is the green stuff inside of the lobsters?
It is known as tomale (or tomalley) and it is the liver of the lobster. Many people consider it a delicacy and use it for flavoring. You will sometimes find a waxy red substance in the tomale, this is the roe (also known as coral) and it is edible as well.
How many lobsters does it take to make a pound of lobster meat?
It depends on the type and size of the lobsters used. Generally, it takes either 5 to 6 pounds of soft-shell lobsters or 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 pounds of hard-shell lobsters to make a pound of lobster meat. In the summer months, lobsters shed their shells so that they can grow. Once the lobsters have shed their old shells, there are new, softer shells underneath. These shells will harden over the course of time and as the water gets colder. Since the lobsters shed their shells in order to have room for growth the following year, there is less meat inside a soft-shell lobster than there is in a hard-shell lobster of the same size. Even though there is less meat in soft-shells than in hard-shells, many people prefer the taste of the soft-shells. They are considered sweeter and tenderer than hard-shells.
Lobstermen have a language all their own. Stump your students with lobster riddles, with vocabulary words drawn from the trade books, such as,
What do you call a female lobster? .......A hen.
When is a lobster a chicken? .....When it weighs about one pound.
When is a lobster a pistol? .......When it has no claws.
Why wouldn't a lobsterman with shorts on want to meet a marine patrol officer? .......He has lobsters that don't meet the the legal size.
Why shouldn't a lobster walk into the kitchen? ......It's the first chamber of a lobster trap.
How can you tell a male from a female?
The swimmerets, the small feathery appendages on the underside of the tail, will provide the answer. The first pair of swimmerets closest to the body are hard and bony on a male, and soft and feathery like the rest of the swimmerets, on a female. Only the female has a small rectangular shield between her second pair of walking legs. This is the sperm receptacle where she stores the sperm after mating until she lays her eggs. A female also has a wider tail than a comparably-sized male. She needs the breadth for carrying all those eggs.
How big is a lobster's brain?
Dave Dow, former Director of the Lobster Institute, claims a lobster has a brain the size of a grasshopper's. The lobster brain is primarily just a collection of ganglia, or nerve endings.
It's evident from the lobster brain's lack of complexity that a lobster does not do much deep thinking, adding support to lobstermen's claims that lobsters probably do not feel pain, certainly not in the way humans do.
Diagrams furnished courtesy Maine/New Hamphire Sea Grant Program. Used with permission.How do you hypnotize a lobster?
To hypnotize a lobster, stand it on its head with its claws laid out in front of it and its tail curled inward. Rub your hand up and down the carapace making sure to rub between the eyes. Eventually it may stand by itself. (Whoever thought of this must have been really starved for excitement.)
Why are lobsters banded?
Crowded into tight quarters, lobsters become especially cannibalistic, which is why they must be banded in a lobster pound or store displays.
Lobster bands are small and strong. Lobster harvesters use a special tool that resembles a pair of pliers to open the rubber band to slip it over the lobster's claw
Why don't lobstermen use wooden pegs anymore?
Years ago, lobstermen used wooden or plastic pegs inserted into the base of the claws to prevent lobsters from opening them. When they did so, they broke the protective skin or integument of the lobster. Disease-causing bacteria could attack the lobster through this lesion.
Why do lobstermen release a berried female?
Because berries are eggs and females with eggs are released so the eggs can hatch. The eggs spend at least ten months on the female. The colder the water, the longer the eggs take to hatch. A berried female is also marked with a V-notch in her tail so if she is caught again the lobsterman knows she was an egg-bearing female and releases her.
What are some of the more unusual types of bait tried?
After WW II, the LobLure Corporation tried to find a fool-proof type of artificial bait. Some of their unusual concoctions ranged from a bait bag that blinked like an electric light to less-promising kerosene-soaked bricks or white coffee mugs.
Why aren't more lobsters raised through aquaculture?
Many sea creatures, including salmon, oysters, and mussels, are raised successfully through sea farming or aquaculture. Since lobsters command such a high price at the market, you would think there would be massive aquaculture operations to raise them. Lobsters are not easy to raise in captivity, and as yet no one has made a profit from it. Experiments have been conducted for years trying to find an economic way to raise them without much success.
Two problems repeatedly crop up:
1. Lobsters in close quarters will eat each other. When lobsters are raised in captivity, they are kept in large vats as larvae. Whirlpool currents keep the baby lobsters spinning beyond each other's reach. When they settle to the bottom, they must be kept in individual pens and moved to ever larger enclosures as they grow.
2. Lobsters grow very slowly, taking an average of 5-7 years to reach market size. That's a long time to feed and maintain them. They can grow faster in warmer water, but it still takes several years to reach market size. Factor in food costs (lobsters can be picky eaters in captivity), heating the water to make them grow faster, and treating disease, and it's easy to see why raising a lobster to adulthood is expensive.
Another approach to lobster aquaculture has been to keep them captive only from egg to hatching to the fourth or fifth stages when they start to settle to the bottom. Hatchery operators then free the baby lobsters into the ocean and hope that they survive long enough to join the lobster fishery as market-size catch. A portion of the income from the sale of lobster licenses in Maine goes to fund a "seed lobster program" to support research in aquaculture or "sea farming." Perhaps 100,000 larval lobsters are released into coastal waters each year.
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(same source)
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Natira
The Cute One
Joined: 15 Jul 2001
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Location: Wrapped around Bella's little finger!
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| Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:24 am |
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How To Eat Lobster? | Whats that Green Stuff & Other Questions
What better place to discuss lobster anatomy than at the dinner table?The first thing to do when your cooked lobster arrives is turn it over and announce whether it is a male or a female. How can you tell?
Most people start by breaking off the legs. Holding the lobster by the back, gently pull off the legs with a twisting motion. Don't throw these away: there are plenty of delicious morsels inside!
Next, take off the claws, which are also called chelipeds.
Tear them off at the first joint, again with a gentle twisting motion, and note that the crusher claw usually is bigger than the tearing claw.
Gently remove the loose part of the claw. Again, check for especially tasty morsels in small parts!
Using a nutcracker, break off the tip of the large section of claw, revealing the meat.
With your forefinger, push the meat from the tip of the claw out the larger open end.
Notice the mouth parts, antennae, antennules, and rostrum or beak, all of which are inedible.
Grasp the tail portion with one hand, and the back with the other hand.
Twist to separate the two sections.
After that, turn to end of the tail which has small flippers, or telsons, at the base.
These provide tasty if miniscule chunks of meat to those who don't mind a little extra work.
Arguably, the best part of the lobster (the debate rages between tail lovers and claw lovers) is the tail meat.
Then insert your fingers into the telson end to push the tail meat out intact through the larger opening.
Peel off the top of the tail to reveal the digestive tract, which should be removed before eating the rest of the tail meat.
Intrepid diners who explore further find small chunks of meat inside the carapace, the hard shell or body of the lobster. They may also encounter the gills, the circulation system, and green "tomalley"(the digestive gland) and in a female lobster, red "coral" or "roe" (the unfertilized eggs). Hard-core lobster lovers eat the latter two.
What's the green stuff?
It's the lobster's liver or more accurately, its digestive system. Although many people like to eat the "tomalley" it probably isn't a good idea because this is where pollution in the lobster's own meal choices would become concentrated in the lobster's body.
What's the red stuff?
It's the roe, the unfertilized eggs of the female. Lobster eggs were once considered a delicacy, like caviar. The roe is also called "coral" because of its bright red color.
What is the nutritional value of lobster?
Nutrition studies show that 3 1/2 ounces of lobster meat (without the butter) contains only 90 calories, compared to 163 calories for the same amount of chicken and 280 calories for sirloin steak. Lobster also contains omega-3 fatty acids, the "good " cholesterol that seems to reduce hardening of the arteries and decrease the risk of heart attacks.
Can you eat lobster when there is a shellfish ban?
Yes. Lobsters, unlike mussels, oysters, and clams, are not "filter feeders." Filter feeders pump sea water, and any plankton or pollution it carries, through their bodies. Any toxins in the water will be concentrated in their flesh.Meat eaters like lobsters, crabs, and fish do not filter plankton from sea water, so they are safe to eat during an outbreak of red tide.
Same souce as T.
Basically Morphy, dont eat the hard red crunchy stuff!
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Five - seveN
Rear Admiral
Joined: 13 Jun 2004
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| Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:25 am |
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You are so  . People who eat lobster must all be cooked alive themselves. It is their destiny, for torturing animals like that. 
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Theresa
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Joined: 17 Jun 2001
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Location: United States of America
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| Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:25 am |
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| Quote: | Seafood is the perfect choice for health-conscious individuals. The recipes listed provide an excellent source of protein which is also very low in calories, fat, and cholesterol. Two servings of seafood a week is the best way to get omega-3 fatty acids which are beneficial to health.
Seafood is
An excellent source of protein
Low in calories
Low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol
The most significant source of omega-3 fatty acids .
Low in sodium
A great source of vitamins and minerals
Loaded with protein. Not only is seafood healthful, but it is also convenient to prepare. And with the number of different species available from The Lusty Lobster, seafood offers an almost endless variety from which to choose. Seafood is an excellent source of protein.An average 3 1/2 ounce serving of seafood provides 17 -21 grams of complete protein. That's about half the protein the body needs each day. And because seafood does not contain a lot of connective tissue, it is more easily chewed and digested than most other protein choices.
Seafood is low in calories.Seafood is the best protein investment for the calorie--conscious consumer. Most seafood contains less than 100 calories in a 3 1/2 ounce serving. Compare that with 160 calories for a similar portion of chicken and more than 200 calories for beef A 3 1/2 ounce fillet of sole will fill half of your plate, giving the appearance of vol-ume for only 90 calories. And because seafood is so rich in flavor, it does not require much fat and oil to prepare a delicious meal.
Seafood Is very low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol.
Many species of seafood have less than one gram of fat per 3 ounce serving. Health experts recommend that Americans should limit total fat intake to 30% of total calories each day. Most seafood gets 10-30% of its calories from fat. Cholesterol levels are also low in most seafood, with an average of 15-20 mg of cholesterol per ounce compared to 25 mg per ounce for chicken and 30 mg per ounce for beef
Seafood is the most significant source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Seafood provides a unique polyunsaturated fat called omega-3 fatty acids. These fats may have protective benefits against heart disease, cancer, and inflammatory conditions. Seafood is the most significant source of these unique fatty acids.
Seafood is low in sodium.
Seafood is naturally low in sodium. A 3 ounce serving of fin-fish provides less than lOO mg of sodium. Shellfish contains more sodium-between 150-300 mg per ounce.
Seafood is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.
Seafood is a good source of B-vitamins, primarily thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. All species contain substantial amounts of phosphorus and potassium.
Clams, mussels, and oysters are excellent sources of iron and zinc-both nutrients that can be difficult to get in traditional low-cholesterol diets. |
I like the tomalley, Don't care for the eggs, though. Having such a craving, thanks M,
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Theresa
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| Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:26 am |
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| Five - seveN wrote: | You are so . People who eat lobster must all be cooked alive themselves. It is their destiny, for torturing animals like that.
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Tss, 'tard, they don't feel anything.
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Natira
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| Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:28 am |
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| Five - seveN wrote: | You are so . People who eat lobster must all be cooked alive themselves. It is their destiny, for torturing animals like that.
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Do you think they give cows a shot to knock them out or something before slaughter. Ummm no! Just CHOP!
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Five - seveN
Rear Admiral
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| Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:30 am |
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Didn't you notice the cute little at the end?
And, btw, how do you know they don't feel anything?
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Theresa
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| Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:33 am |
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'Cause they have done tests, Though not everyone believes the results. I know it doesn't harm me, though,
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Five - seveN
Rear Admiral
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| Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:34 am |
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Nice. I wouldn't want to get cooked alive though. It seems so... silly...
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Theresa
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| Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:35 am |
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Mmm, painful, too.
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B'Elanna Torres 7 of 9
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| Tue Dec 14, 2004 12:27 pm |
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i tried lobster for the 1st time 1 year ago. It's REAAALY good actually - hehe... i refused to ever try it b/c i thought it just looked disgusting... now i know how yummy it is!!!
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m021
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| Thu Dec 16, 2004 3:33 pm |
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| Theresa wrote: | | Five - seveN wrote: | You are so . People who eat lobster must all be cooked alive themselves. It is their destiny, for torturing animals like that.
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Tss, 'tard, they don't feel anything. |
 You think that they don't feel anything when they're being cooked alive?
I wish lobsters had mouths, so they could scream right in your face when you're cooking them.
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IntrepidIsMe
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| Thu Dec 16, 2004 4:35 pm |
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Seafood is wooooooooooonderful.
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GhostOfAMemory
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| Fri Dec 17, 2004 3:08 am |
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^ bleh, seafood *barfs*
I always thought it was a bit inhumane to cook an animal alive. I mean, when shooting a cow, it's instant, not a slow, torturous death through boiling. Could you imagine sticking an chicken in boiling oil still alive? Uhm, no. But if they don't feel anything, than what's the difference? But of course, do they know this for certain? Why can't they just kill it first like everything else we eat? And why not just take out the meat first, like everything else? Who buys live cows and chickens then cooks them? Madness! And seafood is nasty period. Bleh. It smells/tastes... FISHY!
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superwoman
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| Fri Dec 17, 2004 5:51 am |
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EEEEWWWWWW!!!! Lobsters should be banned! Or at least eating them!!! Sooo discusting! I mean... intestines!
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Theresa
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| Fri Dec 17, 2004 10:44 am |
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Actually, if you read up on it, the way they slaughter cows to keep the meat "pure" is to slit their throats. A lobster has virtually no nerve endings... Guess what that means?
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superwoman
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| Fri Dec 17, 2004 10:57 am |
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| Theresa wrote: | | Actually, if you read up on it, the way they slaughter cows to keep the meat "pure" is to slit their throats. |
That's illegal... and isn't it something jewish... or at least something to do with some religion about the blood and everything...?
Oh btw, comparing shellfish with cows... I don't think that is compleatly right. I mean, lobsters has a brain the size of... ehm... something.. really small
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Theresa
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| Fri Dec 17, 2004 11:02 am |
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Technically, it's not "illegal". And yeah, it's also part of a Jewish sacrifice. The more sanitary way is injection, but that costs money.
But anyway, the topic is lobster. It's the same for any animal humans ingest. Do we all freak out when clams are steamed, as well? Or crab? Or any other shell fish? Sheesh.
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Ziona
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| Sun Dec 19, 2004 8:59 pm |
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LoL... Funny funny... too funny... I love seafood
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m021
Lieutenant
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| Thu Dec 23, 2004 9:40 am |
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Today my biology teacher told us that most small animals certainly DO feel. Maybe they don't feel pain, but they definitely feel that "there's something wrong".
Imagine what a stressful event it must be for a lobster to get cooked alive.
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Oliver
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| Thu Dec 23, 2004 2:56 pm |
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I'm sure they feel something but it's nothing compared to what we would feel.
When fish get caught on a hook and the hook is sticking right through the fish's lips, they don't jurk around of the pain. When the hook is taken away again, they swim on as if nothing happend.
It's proven that fish have a totaly different nervous system and therefore don't experience pain in the same way. How they feel things exactly, we'll probably never know but until then, lobster tastes very good.
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