Lobster
Lobster is without contest the king of
crustaceans. It is in the same family as scampi, snow crab and
shrimp. The lobster lives in the deep-waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
It moves around at night, walking on the rocky bottom of the ocean
and it is this same environment that influences the quality and
flavour of the lobster. The lobster moults regularly as it grows
and when it does, it eats its old shell for the calcium it contains
to help harden its new shell. 
- The lobster has 5 pairs of legs; the first is much more developed and ends with powerful claws.
- Small fins at the junction of the abdomen and thorax differentiate the females.
- These same fins are useful for keeping eggs in the shell. The connoisseur will say that the female is tastier than the male, particularly at spawning time.
- The edible parts of the lobster are the tail, the legs and the claws. The roe and the green tomalley found in its body are also edible. The flesh of the lobster accounts for only 30% of its total weight.
- Gourmets agree that its delicate, lean, pink-white flesh makes the lobster the quintessential shellfish.
| Lobster | Quantity of water | Quantity of salt (sea salt) | Cooking time |
| 1-1 1/4 lb | 1,5 litre | 38 ml | male: 10 minutes female: 12 minutes |
| 1 1/2 lb | 1,5 litre | 38 ml | male: 14 minutes female: 16 minutes |
| 2 lb | 4 1/2 litres | 125 ml | male: 16 minutes female: 20 minutes |
| 3 lb | 4 1/2 litres | 125 ml | male: 18 minutes female: 23 minutes |
You will find fresh live or frozen lobster in your Metro seafood display.
- Lobster can be eaten hot or cold but preferably always cooked.
- The classic way to cook lobster is to plunge it head first into boiling salted water (lobsters should be covered with water).
- Start counting cooking time as soon as the water begins to boil again.
- Remember to increase the amount of cooking time if there is more than one lobster in the pot.
For lobster preparation tips, in images, click here.
- Once cooked, cool the lobster in ice water to stop the cooking process.
- If you plan to eat it cold, store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Every part of the lobster is used in cooking.
- The shells make a wonderful broth for bisque or lobster au gratin.
- The liver is very fragrant and tasty to use in dips and sauces.
- The roe makes a colourful garnish for appetizers and salads, and finally the claws really dress up a salad.
 Lobster Salad with Asian Dressing |
 Creamy Fettuccine with Lobster, Asparagus and Le Douanier |
 Barbecue-Steamed Lobster |
 Lobster Canapés |
 Lobster with Cream Sauce and Capers |
Click
here to discover more delicious lobster recipes !
Lobster is very low in lipids and in calories. There are only 91 calories in 100 grams of steamed lobster!
It is interesting to note that there are more nutrients in lobster tails than in lobster claws.
Lobster is high in protein, potassium, zinc and niacin (vitamin B3). It also provides generous amounts of calcium, magnesium and B-12 vitamin.
- Live lobster can be stored in a damp cloth at 4° C (40° F) in
the refrigerator.
- Live lobster needs to breathe and should never be placed in a
sealed plastic bag or in a container of water.
- With or without its shell, cooked lobster will keep for 1 or 2
days in the refrigerator.
- Lobster should never be left at room temperature for any length
of time.
- To avoid unpleasant odours, lobster should not be refrigerated while still hot.
How to freeze lobsters?
- To freeze lobster, it should first be cooked and drained. It
can be frozen as is or with shell removed.
- Allow the meat to cool before putting into freezer
containers.
- Cover the meat with brine made of 10 ml of salt per 250 ml of
water (2 tsp of salt per cup of water).
- The meat can also be stored in air-tight freezer bags and kept
in the freezer for one month.
- Fresh lobster should be prepared as soon as possible after
purchase.
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Refrigerator 4° C
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Freezer -18° C
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|
Live lobster
|
12 hours
|
-
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Frozen lobster
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1 to 2 days
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1 month
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