Lobster is a delicious crustacean that is loved by many for its sweet, rich meat. However, cracking open a lobster to get to that tasty meat can be intimidating for some. Lobsters have a tough outer shell that must be cracked open in order to access the meat inside. There are a few different techniques for cracking a lobster efficiently and safely to enjoy this luxurious seafood.
What tools do you need to crack a lobster?
Cracking lobster requires having a few specific tools on hand:
– Lobster cracker or nut cracker – This tool looks like large pliers and allows you to crack through the shell with ease. The hinges on a lobster cracker have been specially designed to apply focused pressure at the right point on a lobster shell to crack it open. Regular pliers or nutcrackers may also work but lobster crackers are ideal.
– Small hammer or mallet – A light hammer or mallet can also be used to crack the lobster shell if you do not have a lobster cracker. Focus on hitting the shell at its thinner parts.
– Lobster pick – A lobster pick is a long, thin tool that helps pull meat out of narrow crevices once the shell is cracked. It has a pick at one end and a small fork at the other.
– Kitchen shears – Sturdy kitchen shears are useful for cutting through lobster joints and separating limbs.
– Small fork – Use a fork to pull meat out of bigger cracked pieces of shell.
– Bowl and tray – Have a large bowl ready to collect the lobster meat and a tray to hold the cracked shells.
How to Crack a Lobster Tail
The tail is one of the easiest parts of a lobster to crack open. Here are the steps:
1. Lay the uncooked lobster tail on a cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut lengthwise through the thin shell along the bottom side of the tail.
2. Grab both sides of the cut shell with your hands and crack it open. The shell should split open, exposing the meat.
3. Use a lobster pick to pull the meat out of the tail in one piece if possible. Collect the meat in your bowl.
4. Don’t discard the lobster tail shell – there is still some delicious meat left inside. Use your lobster pick, fork, or small hammer to break the remaining shell into smaller pieces. Extract all the meat.
5. Give the tail a final check with your pick to ensure you’ve removed all the meat before discarding the shell.
How to Crack Lobster Claws
The claws contain a good amount of meat but can be trickier to extract. Here is the process:
1. Twist and pull the claws off the body. Remove the rubber bands if they are still around the claws.
2. Identify the thin line that runs along the length of the claw. This is where you will crack it.
3. Position the lobster cracker or hammer along this line. Apply firm, controlled pressure to crack the shell. Twist slightly as you crack.
4. Don’t try to crack the claw completely in half on the first go. Cracking it into a few pieces makes getting the meat out easier.
5. Use the lobster pick and fork to pull and pry meat from the cracked claw. Look for crevices and cavities – they hold a lot of meat.
6. When the claw is mostly picked clean, use your kitchen shears to cut through the joints and separate the shell into smaller, easier to crack pieces. Extract all the remaining meat.
How to Crack Lobster Legs
The legs have thinner, more delicate shells than the claws. Here are tips for getting the meat out:
1. Twist each leg off the body.
2. One at a time, place each leg between the tongs of your lobster cracker and apply pressure along the length of the leg to crack the shell.
3. Alternatively, you can use a rolling motion with your mallet or hammer to crack the leg shell. Roll the leg under your hammer applying pressure to crack the shell.
4. Use your lobster pick to pull or scrape the meat from the legs. The leg meat often comes out in whole pieces.
5. Give the empty leg shells a quick double check with your pick for any remaining meat before discarding.
How to Crack the Body and Knuckles
The body (carapace) and knuckles of the lobster take a bit more work to crack but contain a generous amount of delicious meat:
1. Place the lobster body upside down and use kitchen shears to cut lengthwise down the center, slicing through the belly and tail. This will allow you to easily crack the body shell in half.
2. Place a half of the body shell-side up and crack the sides outward by applying pressure with your hands or cracker. Break into smaller pieces if needed.
3. Use your cracker or mallet to crack the knuckles still attached to the body to access the meat inside.
4. Use your fork and pick to pull meat from the body and knuckle cavities. Take your time to get all the delicious meat out.
Tips for Getting the Most Meat Out of a Lobster
– Work over a large bowl or tray to catch all the meat as you extract it. Broken shell pieces often contain meat.
– Don’t rinse cracked lobster under water as you can wash away tasty tomalley (the green liver).
– Crack the body and leg shells into very small pieces to get all the meat out.
– Use a pick, fork, or needle-nose pliers to pull hidden meat from narrow spaces in the shell.
– After picking out all the obvious meat, use your hands to squeeze cracked shells over the bowl – small bits of meat will fall out.
– Some people suck the meat and juices directly from the legs once cracked. The leg meat is very tender.
What are the Best Tools for Humanely Killing a Lobster?
Before cracking a lobster, it must be humanely killed as lobsters have decentralized nervous systems and likely feel pain. There are a few options:
– **Lobster killer** – This tool looks like scissors but has a sharp, pointed end that penetrates the lobster’s head between the eyes for instant death.
– **Chef’s knife** – A swift diagonal cut to slice between the eyes with a sharp chef’s knife will kill the lobster instantly.
– **Boiling or steaming** – Placing live lobsters head first into rapidly boiling water or a steamer will kill them quickly and is a common cooking preparation.
Avoid slowly heating lobsters to death or freezing as these methods may prolong suffering. The most humane options penetrate the brain quickly.
Conclusion
Cracking and picking lobster take some work, but the reward of sweet, succulent meat is worth the effort. The key tools needed are a lobster cracker, mallet, pick, fork, and kitchen shears. Strategically crack the tail, claws, legs, and body into smaller pieces to access all the meat. Take it slow and be thorough. With practice, you’ll become an expert at efficiently cracking lobsters for maximum enjoyment. Don’t forget to humanely kill the lobster before cooking. Now go forth and crack open some lobster for a decadent seafood feast!
| Lobster Part | Cracking Method | Tools Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Tail | Cut along soft underside and crack shell open | Kitchen shears |
| Claws | Crack down thin line along length using lobster cracker | Lobster cracker |
| Legs | Apply pressure along leg or roll under mallet | Lobster cracker or mallet |
| Body | Cut belly and crack shell outward into pieces | Kitchen shears and hands |
| Knuckles | Crack with cracker or mallet | Lobster cracker or mallet |
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Lobster cracker | Cracking shells |
| Mallet | Cracking shells |
| Lobster pick | Pulling meat from cracks |
| Fork | Pulling meat |
| Kitchen shears | Cutting joints and belly |
| Killing Method | Process | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lobster killer | Penetrate head between eyes | Instant death | Need specialty tool |
| Chef’s knife | Slice between eyes | Instant death, common tool | Knife skills required |
| Boiling | Immerse head first in boiling water | Common cooking method | Can prolong death if too slow |
| Steaming | Place head first in steamer | Common cooking method | Can prolong death if too slow |