How to Clean a Lobster: All The Best Methods to Do It Quickly and Easily

The lobster, with its shiny shell and delicate flesh, has always been considered a king of the seas: present on the most refined tables, this crustacean fascinates not only for its intense flavor, but also for the majesty that distinguishes it. But how to transform this treasure of the sea into an unforgettable dish?

A decapod crustacean belonging to the Nephropidae family, the lobster is a seafood product particularly appreciated for its tender meat and strong flavor, so much so that it is considered a delicacy to be brought to the table on holidays and special occasions. Not to be confused with the more prized spiny lobster, the lobster splashes around in the cold waters of the eastern Atlantic, although it is mostly American specimens that end up on our tables; in the Mediterranean Sea, they are so rare that they are considered to be among the species at risk of extinction.

Finding lobster on the market is quite simple, cleaning it perhaps a little less: the pulp (edible part) is in fact small and well protected by the carapace, be it blue or red; but with our simple guide you will learn to do it easily and without errors. Fresh or frozen, let's see how to clean the lobster perfectly and why cooking it while it is still alive is not a good practice at all.

Why You Shouldn't Cook a Lobster While It's Still Alive

Before we try to clean a lobster, we must dispel a myth about this delicious crustacean once and for all: a lobster cannot and should not be boiled alive. For years we have mistakenly thought not only that the animal does not suffer, but also that its meat tastes better if cooked while the animal is still sentient: nothing could be further from the truth. In several countries of the European Union, proposals are underway to ban the cooking of a lobster while it is still alive, a barbaric practice that is already illegal in Switzerland and, curiously, in Parma, where the municipality has imposed the electrical stunning of a lobster and prevented the blocking of its claws , a practice that a ruling by the Court of Cassation in 2017 has already defined as a crime of animal cruelty.

Avoid buying it still alive, therefore, and make sure that the fishmonger has applied a humane method for its killing. Once purchased, you can then proceed to boiling which will allow you to clean the lobster and easily extract all the pulp. If you have purchased a frozen lobster, you can proceed directly to cooking.

How to Clean a Lobster

Once boiled for at least 15 minutes, you can easily clean the lobster and remove the shell (which makes up almost all of its weight). Equip yourself with a cutting board, sharp knife and spoon and proceed as follows:

• Place the lobster on the cutting board, twist the head with a clean twist, detaching it from the rest of the body and set it aside;
• expose the flesh from the shell and carefully pull the black thread away from the pulp;
• turn the lobster over, placing it on its back and, using a very sharp knife, make a cut from the top to the bottom, being careful not to damage the meat;
• also make a cut on the back, in correspondence with the previous cut;
• open the flaps of the shell and with a spoon delicately extract the pulp;
• using pliers, cut the claws in half and also extract the pulp inside them;

At this point your lobster is ready to be enjoyed: don't forget to keep the scraps, because they are perfect for bringing a mouth-watering fish stock to the table, but remember to remove the eyes, which are bitter.

How to Use Lobster in The Kitchen

Once cleaned, lobster offers several possibilities: a timeless classic is natural lobster, that is, seasoned with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt and a little lemon juice. Alternatively, you can prepare a salad with lobster, combining its pulp with mixed vegetables, avocado, cherry tomatoes and an emulsion of oil, lemon and mustard, or a tartare, chopping the pulp finely and then seasoning it with oil, lemon, salt, pepper and chives. Another very popular specialty is lobster linguini, a refined main course suitable for an elegant dinner, but you can also use it in a risotto, as well as Catalan-style lobster, a recipe from Alghero prepared with red onions from Tropea, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. Also excellent baked, au gratin with breadcrumbs, parmesan, butter and parsley.