Issues → July/August 2010 → Food →
Knowledge & Wisdom: The Perfect Lobster
by Bertha Nunan
Bertha Nunan, wife of a longtime lobsterman, shared her recipe with Yankee more than 30 years ago, in the June 1979 issue —Eds.
"The secret to cooking lobsters is not to murder them. Give them a nice, slow, respectable way out. Don't put them in boiling water, and don't drown them in too much water. Boiling them in a lot of water just boils their flavor out, and too much water waterlogs them. I put in two inches of water, whether I'm cooking two lobsters or 14. I take a salt container, and with the spout open, I pour it three times around the pot; then, plop! at the end [about three teaspoons]. When the water is boiling, put in the lobsters, put the lid on, and steam them for 20 minutes. Not a minute less or a minute more.... When they're done, draw up your butter and serve the lobster with a dish of vinegar as well. Now the next step is what a lot of people, and practically all restaurants, ignore: I always put in fresh salted water for every batch of lobsters."
Reader Comments
Comment from Martha Campbell on July 7, 2011
I was taught by Maine grandmother to steam a 1 1/2 lb. lobster for 15 minutes and add 5 minutes for each additional pound. (We like 2 1/2 to 3 lb. lobsters so there is more meat!) Wondering about the 20 minutes flat -- how large are the lobsters she is cooking?
Comment from jim poe on July 7, 2011
I still cant\' keep myself from adding about a 1/4 cup of \"Old Bay Seasoning\" in the water.....but I\'m from Ohio so what do I know.... ;-)
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