LOBSTER

Did you know that lobster meat is one of the healthiest proteins available? Why is it, then, that so many diners shy away from eating lobster?  When I first was asked to do a feature about lobsters, I found out why: Nobody knows how to get beyond the hard shell and actually eat the darn thing! I, for one, was at a loss – what about you?

First of all, be assured that you are not alone if you don’t: Typing ‘how to eat lobster’ into your browser, will throw a staggering 1,800,000 pages back at you! So there’s definitely a market for teaching people how to eat lobster.

We decided to tell you how it’s done:

1.         Twist off both lobster claws where they meet the body. Break off the knuckles where they attach to the main part of the claw.

2.         Crack the claws, using a nutcracker, pliers, or even a hammer if the shell is very hard. Pick the meat from the claws.

3.         Use a small fork or pick to pick the meat from the knuckles.

4.         Separate the lobster tail from the body by bending the tail back and using a twisting motion. Break off the flippers by bending them back. You'll find tidbits of meat in the flippers.

5.         Insert a fork into the end of the tail where the flippers break off and push out the chunk of tail meat. Remove the black vein that runs down the middle of the tail.

6.         Remove the small legs attached to the body, and suck the bits of lobster meat from each leg.

7.         Crack the body apart lengthwise. Pick the meat from the body cavities with a small fork or pick. The body contains "tomalley," the lobster's liver. Tomalley turns green when cooked, and many consider it a delicacy, while others discard it.

Really sounds like fun, doesn’t it? Of course there is a less messy way to eat lobster: Amand, the chef of ‘Chez Amand’ fame, will prepare the lobster for you in advance, and you don’t have to worry about a thing. Plus: There is still going to be fun left for you, believe it or not! Amand invited us into his kitchen and did the job for the camera:

 Photo 1 – 3: With a very sharp knife Amand cuts the boiled lobster lengthwise down the middle. The two halves reveal the tomalley and, as this is a female lobster, the eggs. Both are rinsed out under running water.

Photo 4 – 6: He removes the chunks of tail meat, cuts it into bit-size pieces and puts these back into the shell.  With the back of the knife the claws are cracked – taking care not to destroy the meat inside, which is then removed from its shell.

Photo 7 – 9: A bed of salad is prepared, the lobster placed on top, and voilà – Bon Appétit!

Lobster Nutritional Facts

Lobster contains less cholesterol, calories, and saturated fats than lean beef, pork, shrimp or even the light meat of chicken. Pound for pound, it is a healthy eating choice.

Lobster is a good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which are proven to reduce hardening of the arteries and risk of heart disease. It is also high in amino acids, potassium and magnesium, vitamin A, B12, B6, B3 (niacin) and B2 (riboflavin), calcium and phosphorous, iron, zinc.

Nutritional Information is based on 100 grams of cooked product. 

Nutritional Information supplied in part by the New York Sea grant Institute.

Nutritional facts and the tips on how to crack a lobster, originate from  Pool Lobster Company in Maine, USA. A lot more lobster-related info can be found on their website: http://www.poollobster.com