by Gordon Hamilton

Created on: December 03, 2008

Although recent scientific research has strongly suggested that, due to their biological construction and total absence of a central nervous system, lobsters are incapable of feeling pain, it is still desireable - as with any creature we intend to eat - that we dispatch it in a quick and humane fashion.

Whenever we buy lobster, to get the most from it, we should do so when it is still alive. In most instances, there will already have been strong rubber bands affixed to its pincer claw which - you should be clearly aware - should never be removed while the lobster is still alive. These claws are capable of giving at best a painful nip and at worst actually breaking a finger.

The first thing we should do when we get the lobster home is to put it in a large bowl or tray and either in to the refrigerator for an hour or the freezer for twenty minutes to half an hour. This causes the lobster's biological system to slow down and effectively places it in to a deep sleep.

Just before we are due to remove the lobster from its resting place, put a large pan (capable of holding and submerging the whole lobster) of water on to boil. Remove the lobster and spread it face down on a large wooden chopping board. Be warned, this next part of the procedure requires great care! Take a large, very sharp knife and place it in the centre of the lobster's head. Holding it firmly in place with one hand, use the other hand to effectively hammer it straight through the head and cut downwards toards the "nose." This will - as you may expect! - kill the lobster instantly.

Plunge the lobster in to the boiling water and ensure it is fully submerged. Cook for fifteen minutes per pound and about an extra minute for each quarter pound thereafter. Be sure never to overcook lobster as its flesh will toughen and become most unpalatable, if not totally inedible.

When the lobster is cooked, drain it well and run it briefly under cold water until it is cool enough to handle. Begin by grabbing the "legs" where they join the body and gently twisting them off. These legs contain little meat, but what is there is quite tasty. Next, remove the larger claws in similar fashion. The large pincer claw should be cracked by placing our knife flush against the inner edge of the claw, then carefully lifting and thrusting down hard in to the shell to just break it. Twist firmly and the shell should crack and allow the meat to be removed.

Grab the main part of the body in one hand and the tail in the other and twist in opposite directions to separate them. Remove the small protrusions from the end of the tail and the tastiest part of the lobster's flesh should be revealed (the tail meat) and easily pulled free. It is possible to eat certain parts of the contents of the body cavity but they are not particularly enjoyable nor plentiful in comparison to other parts of the lobster and I, to be honest, tend to discard them in their entirety.

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