Steamed Whole Lobster

By norsegal8

While we prefer hard-shell lobsters to soft-shell lobsters, soft-shell lobsters are more available in the summer (late spring and early summer is the best time to find hard-shell lobsters). However, because hard-shell lobsters are more packed with meat than soft-shell ones, you may want to buy one-and-one-half- to one-and-three-quarter-pounders (for each person) if serving soft-shells. See "How to Determine Whether a Lobster is Hard or Soft Shell" below.)

Ingredients

• 4 lobsters
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted (optional)
• Lemon wedges

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

1. Bring about 1 inch water to boil over high heat in large soup kettle set up with wire rack, pasta insert, or seaweed bed. Add lobster, cover, and return water to boil. Reduce heat to medium-high; steam until lobsters are done, see chart below. Serve immediately with warm butter and lemon wedges.

2. Approximate Steaming Times:


1 Pound Lobster:
8-9 Minutes (soft-shell)
10-11 Minutes (hard-shell)

1 1/4 Pound Lobster:
11 to 12 Minutes (soft-shell)
13 to 14 Minutes (hard-shell)

1 1/2 Pound Lobster:
13 to 14 Minutes (soft-shell)
15 to 16 Minutes (hard-shell)

1 3/4 to 2 Pound Lobster:
17 to 18 Minutes (soft-shell)
about 19 Minutes (hard-shell)