Removing Meat from the Half-shell

The orangey-red shell of a cooked lobster makes an attractive serving “dish”. The entire tail section can be detached from the head, rinsed out and used for serving. Alternatively, and especially when the lobster is intended for two, you can serve the meat on the half-shell.

1. Cook the lobster as described on the opposite page. When it is cool enough to handle comfortably, cut the string and remove the body support. Holding the lobster with its back uppermost, and cut it in half lengthwise from head to tail with a large chef’s knife.

   

2. Spoon out the green liver, or tomalley, and reserve. Female lobsters may contain roe, or coral, which is pink when cooked and should be saved. Discard the gravel sac.

   

3. Gently pull the tail meat from each side of the shell. Remove and discard the intestinal vein.

   

4. Crack each claw just below the pincer, without damaging the meat. Remove meat from base of claw shell.

   

5. Pull the small pincer away from the rest of the claw, bringing with it the flat white membrane. Remove the meat from this part of the claw. Pull the meat from the large pincer shell, keeping it in one piece.