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Steamed Maine Lobster
By Charlie Burke
When we lived in West Newbury, Massachusetts, we visited the nearby Plum
Island Reservation frequently. Plum Island is a beautiful barrier island, with
the southern six miles being an undeveloped wildlife reserve with dunes, sea
grass and beaches rivaling anything on Cape Cod. Now our excursions are far
fewer, but we still try to get there in early September to gather wild beach
plums to make our favorite jelly.
When heading for Plum Island, we always buy lobster from a local lobster
pound (The Lobster Connection in Tilton, New Hampshire), because lobsters
are delivered there daily from Maine and stored in perfect condition in a tank
and filtration system designed by the owner, Mark Conley, who has designed
and installed similar systems for many a Maine pound. After gathering beach
plums, we fire up a portable grill and boil the lobsters in sea water. (See
photo below) Boiling perfectly fresh lobsters in real sea water is my favorite
way of cooking them, and their taste is remarkably better than when boiled
with tap water, even if sea salt is added.
At home, I no longer boil lobster, preferring to steam them in seaweed Mark
provides us free of charge. The meat of a steamed lobster is more tender then
that of boiled lobster, and all the sweet briny nuances of flavor remain in the
meat, undiluted by a large volume of water. It may be my imagination, but it
seems to me that the steamed seaweed also adds flavor. At the very least, the
seaweed provides both a “rack” for the lobster and a covering, so that the
steam moves more slowly around the lobsters. It also is the perfect garnish
when you present the bright red lobsters to your guests.
Steaming takes more time than boiling, but that time is regained because it
takes much less time to bring an inch or two of water to the boil than the large
volume required for boiling. Also, the time required is different for hard shell
and soft shelled lobster. (See table below). The meat of soft shell lobster is
every bit as good as that from hard shell, and their price is lower. Although
the yield of meat is less per pound than from hard shell, one experienced
coastal Mainer I met this summer claims he’s “done the math”, and the yield
per dollar is higher from soft shell lobsters. Knowing lobstermen, I think the
difference is minimal, but I never hesitate to buy the soft shells and usually
order a half pound larger than if selecting hard shells.
Cooking times for steamed lobster*
Name Chickens Quarters Selects Jumbos
Size ¾ - 1 lb 1 – 1/14 lb 1 ½ - 2 lb 3 – 5
Time 6 – 8 min 9 – 10 min 10 – 12 min 18 – 25
Choose a pot large enough to easily hold the lobsters with room to spare to
allow the steam to circulate. I always use the stock pot in the photo below,
even if cooking only two lobsters. Add salted water (at least one tablespoon
of salt per quart) and place a rack in the pot or enough sea weed to keep the
lobsters above the water. Cover and bring to a boil. Add lobsters, covering
them with additional sea weed if using. Begin timing when the pot refills with
steam. Cooking time for soft shelled lobsters is approximately ten per shorter
than the above times. If the lobster is cooked before you are ready to serve
them, remove the pot from the heat and uncover it. The lobsters will remain
warm but cooking will end once the steam is released.
August and September are my favorite months to eat lobster because it
perfectly matches the great flavors of fresh local sweet corn, tomatoes and
steamed new potatoes, all of which are at their best in late summer. So, invite
friends over, buy some locally brewed beer, chill some dry white wine and
serve lobster with the best of New England’s summer bounty. If the weather
cooperates, this meal is even better when served outside, picnic style.
*Times given are those suggested by Jasper White in
one of my favorite cook books: Jasper White’s Cooking
from New England, Harper and Row, New York, 1989.
Nearly twenty years old, this classic is still in print. =>
About the author:
An organic farmer and avid cook, writer Charlie Burke is the vice president of
the New Hampshire Farmer'sMarket Association, president of the NH Farm to
Restaurant Connection and helps run the Sanbornton (NH) Farmers' Market.
Along with his wife, Joanne, Charlie grows certified organic herbs, greens and
berries at Weather Hill Farm in Sanbornton, NH.
By Charlie Burke
When we lived in West Newbury, Massachusetts, we visited the nearby Plum
Island Reservation frequently. Plum Island is a beautiful barrier island, with
the southern six miles being an undeveloped wildlife reserve with dunes, sea
grass and beaches rivaling anything on Cape Cod. Now our excursions are far
fewer, but we still try to get there in early September to gather wild beach
plums to make our favorite jelly.
When heading for Plum Island, we always buy lobster from a local lobster
pound (The Lobster Connection in Tilton, New Hampshire), because lobsters
are delivered there daily from Maine and stored in perfect condition in a tank
and filtration system designed by the owner, Mark Conley, who has designed
and installed similar systems for many a Maine pound. After gathering beach
plums, we fire up a portable grill and boil the lobsters in sea water. (See
photo below) Boiling perfectly fresh lobsters in real sea water is my favorite
way of cooking them, and their taste is remarkably better than when boiled
with tap water, even if sea salt is added.
At home, I no longer boil lobster, preferring to steam them in seaweed Mark
provides us free of charge. The meat of a steamed lobster is more tender then
that of boiled lobster, and all the sweet briny nuances of flavor remain in the
meat, undiluted by a large volume of water. It may be my imagination, but it
seems to me that the steamed seaweed also adds flavor. At the very least, the
seaweed provides both a “rack” for the lobster and a covering, so that the
steam moves more slowly around the lobsters. It also is the perfect garnish
when you present the bright red lobsters to your guests.
Steaming takes more time than boiling, but that time is regained because it
takes much less time to bring an inch or two of water to the boil than the large
volume required for boiling. Also, the time required is different for hard shell
and soft shelled lobster. (See table below). The meat of soft shell lobster is
every bit as good as that from hard shell, and their price is lower. Although
the yield of meat is less per pound than from hard shell, one experienced
coastal Mainer I met this summer claims he’s “done the math”, and the yield
per dollar is higher from soft shell lobsters. Knowing lobstermen, I think the
difference is minimal, but I never hesitate to buy the soft shells and usually
order a half pound larger than if selecting hard shells.
Cooking times for steamed lobster*
Name Chickens Quarters Selects Jumbos
Size ¾ - 1 lb 1 – 1/14 lb 1 ½ - 2 lb 3 – 5
Time 6 – 8 min 9 – 10 min 10 – 12 min 18 – 25
Choose a pot large enough to easily hold the lobsters with room to spare to
allow the steam to circulate. I always use the stock pot in the photo below,
even if cooking only two lobsters. Add salted water (at least one tablespoon
of salt per quart) and place a rack in the pot or enough sea weed to keep the
lobsters above the water. Cover and bring to a boil. Add lobsters, covering
them with additional sea weed if using. Begin timing when the pot refills with
steam. Cooking time for soft shelled lobsters is approximately ten per shorter
than the above times. If the lobster is cooked before you are ready to serve
them, remove the pot from the heat and uncover it. The lobsters will remain
warm but cooking will end once the steam is released.
August and September are my favorite months to eat lobster because it
perfectly matches the great flavors of fresh local sweet corn, tomatoes and
steamed new potatoes, all of which are at their best in late summer. So, invite
friends over, buy some locally brewed beer, chill some dry white wine and
serve lobster with the best of New England’s summer bounty. If the weather
cooperates, this meal is even better when served outside, picnic style.
*Times given are those suggested by Jasper White in
one of my favorite cook books: Jasper White’s Cooking
from New England, Harper and Row, New York, 1989.
Nearly twenty years old, this classic is still in print. =>
About the author:
An organic farmer and avid cook, writer Charlie Burke is the vice president of
the New Hampshire Farmer'sMarket Association, president of the NH Farm to
Restaurant Connection and helps run the Sanbornton (NH) Farmers' Market.
Along with his wife, Joanne, Charlie grows certified organic herbs, greens and
berries at Weather Hill Farm in Sanbornton, NH.
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