Killing & Cutting up Live Lobster

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top 1000La Varenne Pratique
La Varenne Pratique

By Anne Willan

Published 1989

  • About
A whole lobster is killed in a few seconds if plunged into boiling water. However, where the recipe calls for a live lobster to be cut up before cooking, proceed as follows:
  1. Set the lobster on a board and cover the tail with a cloth. Hold the lobster firmly with one hand and, with the point of a large knife, pierce down to the board through the cross mark at the center of the head. Note Although the lobster is killed when the knife is inserted, it may continue to twitch because of cut nerve endings.

  2. Turn the lobster round. Holding it by the head, continue cutting down the middle, until you reach the crosswise tail joint.

  3. Chop off the claws and legs with a single blow of the knife on each side of the body.

  4. Gripping the head firmly, slice the tail section across, into medallions. Cut the head in half.

  5. Discard the head sac. Scoop out the tomalley (greenish liver) and any coral (black when uncooked) and reserve for soup or sauce. Save the liquid that runs from the lobster also.

  6. Crack the claws with the back of a knife, but don't shell them. The body and legs may be cooked to add flavor, but they are not normally served. Note Discard the intestinal vein after cooking.

    ALTERNATIVELY, the lobster can be split in half lengthwise. Discard the intestinal vein, then clean the body and crack the claws as shown above.