What you need
- Fresh lobster from the Magdalen Islands, preferably purchased from a fisherman at your local wharf!
- Water and lots of salt (or seawater)
- A very large pot with a tight-fitting lid
Preparation stages
1. Lobsters
Before cooking, make sure the lobster is fresh. You can store live lobster in the refrigerator for up to two days, covering it with a damp cloth until you’re ready to cook it. Then, cut the blue bands holding the claws with a scissors to prevent your feast from tasting of rubber! And watch your fingers…
2. The water
Fill a large pot with about 1 inch of water. In the Magdalen Islands, lobster is steamed, not boiled. Add a generous amount of sea salt to mimic seawater, which will enhance the lobster’s natural flavor. Or, better yet, go to the nearest beach for seawater. Bring the water to the boil.
3. Boiling
Place the lobsters in the pot, head first. Quickly cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid to prevent steam from escaping. Reduce heat to medium and steam lobster for 10 to 20 minutes, referring to the Lobster cooking times chart.
Magdalen Islands steamed lobster cooking times chart
The lobster is cooked when its shell is bright red. To check if the lobster is cooked, pull lightly on an antenna. If it comes off easily, the lobster is ready. Flesh should be white and opaque.
Weight
- Male
- Female (or mixed)
¾ lb
- 8 min
- 10 min.
1 lb
- 10 min.
- 12 min
1¼ lb
- 12 min.
- 14 min
1½ lb
- 14 min
- 16 min
2 lb
- 16 min
- 20 min
3 lb
- 18 min
- 23 min and over
4 lb
- 20 min
- 24 min and over
How can you tell a male from a female lobster?
Visually, the first difference is the tail: the female's is wider, as this is where she stores her eggs. You can also turn the lobster on its back and look at the little hooks between the thorax and the tail. Called pleopods, they are thin, soft and flexible in females, while in males they are hard, pointed and whitish. The female's bright red eggs are called rava and are delicious. Roe can also be preserved to add to your favorite dishes or to prepare lobster blush, also known as tomalley.
Side dishes
Madelinots typically eat their lobster chilled, with bread and mayonnaise. It’s a method worth trying! We also like it with a lemon and basil butter, and of course with the traditional garlic butter. And, why not, with Belgian fries or potato salad. Yummy!
Leftovers
If you have too much lobster, don’t worry, it’s delicious prepared as leftovers. Lobster meat can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Use it in your guédilles, pasta dishes or risottos!
Dream vacation in the Maggies
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