Removing Lobster Meat

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Published 1989

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For serving, lobster meat is replaced in its shell, with the pincer meat set on top of the body meat. The meat is usually mixed with a sauce if served hot, or with mayonnaise or dressing if served cold.

Follow the same method for all types of lobster: pierce the end of the tail with a large knife and lift the carcass to drain the cooking liquid. If the lobster has been boiled, it is likely to contain a great deal of surplus liquid.
Set the lobster on a board, back upwards. Holding it firmly with one hand, pierce down through the cross at the center of the head with the point of a large knife. Continue cutting the tail in half.
Turn the lobster around so that it is facing you and cut through the head The lobster will fall apart down the middle.
Remove and discard the head sac. The remaining meat is edible. This includes the tomalley (greenish liver) and, in the female, red coral.
Detach the intestinal vein from the tail and discard it. Twist off the claws and legs.
Crack the claws in two or three places with the back of a knife or with nutcrackers, without crushing the meat inside.
Pull the flat membrane, which is attached to the small pincer, from the claw meat.
Carefully remove the claw meat from the remaining shell in one piece.
If the lobster is large, use a skewer to push the meat from the legs; if it is small, simply use the legs to decorate the finished dish (see Lobster salad Green Goddess).
Lift the tail meat from the shell, pulling it out neatly and in one piece. Discard the shell.
With a sharp knife, cut the tail meat into slices and set them aside until needed for the finished dish.
Discard the gills (called “dead men's fingers” because of their shape and color) from the underside of the body shell.
For serving, place the slices of lobster meat in the shell with the claw meat on top.