How to Clean and Crack Lobster

Appears in
The Hog Island Book of Fish & Seafood: Culinary Treasures from Our Waters
The Hog Island Book of Fish & Seafood

By John Ash

Published 2023

  • About

  1. Pull the tail away from the head by twisting it.
  2. With sharp kitchen shears, cut the underside of the shell of the tail down the middle. Open the shell and remove the meat.
  3. Remove and discard the long, thin black intestinal vein that runs the length of the lobster and also the lumpy head sac located near the eyes.
  4. Break off the claws and cut them down one side with the shears.
  5. You can also crack the claws with a lobster cracker or nutcracker. Remove the meat from the claws in as large pieces as possible. Cut one side of the leg and remove any meat.