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JEM
What's the best (quickest and most humane) way to kill the lobster? I've done this before with a knife plunged into what I believed was the brain stem, but have never felt confident about this. Experts, please weigh in.
KCG
The way to kill a lobster is to freeze it - not till it's hard - but just enough so it goes to sleep. Put it in the boiling water frozen and by the time it's awake it will be dead. You should ALWAYS look for the most humane way to slaughter. It's a profound thing to do. We have to kill to eat - animals or plants. We can't eat rocks, only living things. You should ALWAYS think about it.
LBN
I live in Gloucester, MA., wher we ship a ton of lobster daily.
This is the perfect recipe and the way it is done in every home here.
Malcolm Kates
On behalf of the Star Island Lobster Body Cartel, we're pleased to endorse this recipe and thank Mr. Sifton for maintaining the integrity of a time-honored tradition.
Leslie
Don't consider an animal's pain before killing it? Disgusting, unethical, the opposite way we're going with food animals. A fish has the same pain nerves as we do. YouTube shows how and we dared to tho' squeamish sorts and now wouldn't be cruel cowards again: Just place lobster face down and with the point of a chef's knife at the junction of tail and head, drive down through then chunck forward lengthwise between eyes to split the brain and instantly kill.
Chris Berg
If anyone is squeamish about dispatching a lobster or anything else live before eating it, they should not eat that item. We all descended from cave people who had to kill things to survive, because they were not all vegans. People are totally ok with allowing someone else to kill and process their live animals and seem to think it is more socially acceptable for others to do it for them. But they will eat the delicious animals, and think that is ok, too. Pure hypocrisy. Get over it.
India
If you're truly squeamish, just ask your local seafood market to steam them for you and then go pick them up as close to dinner as possible. Doesn't smell up the house, either!
joline godfrey
A Maine native, I'm delighted to see LBN's agreement with this direction. Boiling for 20 minutes, a common instruction, is a sure way to undermine your aspiration for a memorable, mouth-watering, delectable, delicious, culinary experience. Honor the lobster, it brings us great pleasure.
George
The lobster doesn't have a nervous system like vertebrates.... they have clusters of neurons that react to stimuli, but there isn't good evidence that they feel pain (one lobster will clip off another lobsters limb and the injured lobster doesn't seem to react at all). But just to be sure, put them in the freezer for a few minutes and cut behind the head (the brain stem), which is the most humane way to kill anything....
Maxine
I always bang them on the head first thinking I will knock the out. Then I plunge them in head first. I can't sing to save my life but I may try that.
fkissling
great tip to pull the antenna. Made lobster butter a few weeks ago so todays lobsters will give me stock.
Paul
Claws require less cooking than tails. Best to disjoint the lobsters and cook the parts separately.
Beau
Can this recipe be used for lobster tails? If so, any recommendation for checking for doneness? This seems to be the critical step in most lobster recipes for delicious vs rubbery mediocrity. Thanks!
Peabody
It takes about 2 seconds to dispatch a cold-numbed lobster with a sharp knife. I have no idea if lobsters feel pain, but why chance it. I totally disagree with my favorite Times writer. Consider the lobster, as one would consider all creatures, especially one that brings us such pleasure.
julie d
I tried to kill the lobsters according to directions kill but they didn't die! It was horrible.
julie d
I cooked the lobsters for 20 min, the lobsters were red but the antennae were not at all loose. Cooked a few minutes more, still couldn't pull out the antennae. So I stopped cooking them anyway but at this point they were a little overcooked.I won't use that method to check for doneness anymore!
Chris Berg
If anyone is squeamish about dispatching a lobster or anything else live before eating it, they should not eat that item. We all descended from cave people who had to kill things to survive, because they were not all vegans. People are totally ok with allowing someone else to kill and process their live animals and seem to think it is more socially acceptable for others to do it for them. But they will eat the delicious animals, and think that is ok, too. Pure hypocrisy. Get over it.
Dan Findlay
I agree. Anyone who enjoys the flesh of animals ought to kill and dress one at least once in their lifetime. One will find that dispatching a lobster is far less traumatic and messy than getting a live chicken into the pot or a tender chunk of a living, breathing steer or hog onto the grill.
lrf
Lobster stock recipe please? Not included as promised.
Michael
You'll find it if you click on "Three Ways Till Sunday."
KCG
The way to kill a lobster is to freeze it - not till it's hard - but just enough so it goes to sleep. Put it in the boiling water frozen and by the time it's awake it will be dead. You should ALWAYS look for the most humane way to slaughter. It's a profound thing to do. We have to kill to eat - animals or plants. We can't eat rocks, only living things. You should ALWAYS think about it.
Leslie
Don't consider an animal's pain before killing it? Disgusting, unethical, the opposite way we're going with food animals. A fish has the same pain nerves as we do. YouTube shows how and we dared to tho' squeamish sorts and now wouldn't be cruel cowards again: Just place lobster face down and with the point of a chef's knife at the junction of tail and head, drive down through then chunck forward lengthwise between eyes to split the brain and instantly kill.
joline godfrey
A Maine native, I'm delighted to see LBN's agreement with this direction. Boiling for 20 minutes, a common instruction, is a sure way to undermine your aspiration for a memorable, mouth-watering, delectable, delicious, culinary experience. Honor the lobster, it brings us great pleasure.
Sheila
A long time ago I read that if you put the lobsters in a sink full of warm water they will "go to sleep" and never know what hit them. I don't know if it's true but I've never heard a lobster scream.
SCDC
I thought it was supposed to be ice cold water - more like their natural habitat. Would love to know for sure!
Paige Reader
I've always plunged the lobster head-first into a large pot of salted, boiling water, then held the lid on while I sing really loud for a minute in case they squeak or something. Then I simmer them for the rest of the time.
I read that that is the most humane way, since they die of suffocation almost immediately. Anyone care to weigh in on this approach?
Maxine
I always bang them on the head first thinking I will knock the out. Then I plunge them in head first. I can't sing to save my life but I may try that.
India
If you're truly squeamish, just ask your local seafood market to steam them for you and then go pick them up as close to dinner as possible. Doesn't smell up the house, either!
LBN
I live in Gloucester, MA., wher we ship a ton of lobster daily.
This is the perfect recipe and the way it is done in every home here.
JEM
What's the best (quickest and most humane) way to kill the lobster? I've done this before with a knife plunged into what I believed was the brain stem, but have never felt confident about this. Experts, please weigh in.
Rosaria
That's exactly what we do here at 2gourmaniacs. Push a large blade knife in the back of the lobster's "neck" to kill it. Then plunge it into the water, or skewer and grill it, although we typically sous-vide the lobster for optimally tender results. We absolutely refuse to boil any living thing!
Carole
Don't ever plunge a knife into the brainstem!!!! There is a poison sac in the head of the lobster, and you don't want to open it!
Plunge the lobster headfirst into boiling water. When cooled, and you have removed the claws and tails, separate the shell from the body, and twist off the head section above the feelers.
Hope this helps, but please don't stick a knife into the head!!!
Pat
I think the best way is to put them in the freezer for 20 mins or so. They are not dead or frozen, but they are almost totally shut down. So cold they don't know what's happening.
Paul
Claws require less cooking than tails. Best to disjoint the lobsters and cook the parts separately.
Judy
Disjoint them while they're alive??? I know I'm missing something here.
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