by Sherry Shantel
Many people object to the common practice of cooking a live
lobster by plunging it into boiling water. Those with
tender hearts and animal rights philosophies are concerned
about the pain the animal experiences and advocate more
humane ways of creating lobster dinners.
Scientists have searched for information regarding the
amount of pain a lobster is capable of feeling. Lobster
lovers everywhere may be surprised at what they found.
A lobster cannot feel pain the way humans know it. Its
nervous system is too undeveloped, and its tiny, simple
brain is only a bunch of nerve endings. The brain of a
lobster is about the size of a grasshopper's brain and lacks
complexity.
Because of this lack, it is also extremely doubtful that a
lobster is able to feel pain the way people do. Based on
these findings, the practice of cooking live lobsters
continues. Three common methods of cooking a live lobster
are by steaming, boiling, or grilling.
To steam a lobster you need to start with a four to five
gallon pot which is the ideal size for steaming six to eight
pounds of lobster. Put about two inches of seawater (if you
have access to it) or other salted water in the bottom of
the pot. Put your steaming rack inside the pot, and bring
the water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the live
lobsters one at a time. Put the lid on the pot and start
timing. One pound of lobster takes approximately 10 minutes
to steam. With six to eight pounds, it will take closer to
an hour. Make sure that you rearrange the lobsters in the
pot half way through the cooking process.
Using the four to five gallon pot, add three quarts of water
for every 1 to 2 pounds of lobster you want to boil. Next
add one-fourth cup of salt per gallon of water. After
heating the salted water to a rolling boil, add the lobsters
one at a time. One pound of lobster needs to be boiled
about 8 minutes, while it will take 50 minutes to an hour
for six to eight pounds. Time the process carefully and
halfway through the cooking time give the lobsters a good
stir.
To grill a lobster you must first par-boil it. You do this
the same way you boil a lobster; however, you limit the
boiling time to five minutes. Remove the lobsters from the
pot and plunge them into cold water so that they won't
continue to cook. Drain the lobsters. To prepare them for
grilling, place each lobster on its back on a cutting board.
Split the lobster down the middle and remove the black tail
vein and the sand sac near the head. Baste the lobster with
butter. Grill with flesh side down for 5 to 6 minutes. Turn
it over, baste it again, and cook another 4 to 5 minutes.
Although there are still people who spend time advocating
humane treatment for lobsters, most are willing to accept
the scientific data which says they do not suffer. The only
way you can enjoy the taste of truly fresh lobster meat is
by steaming, boiling or grilling it. The purchase of live
lobsters isn't limited to grocery stores and restaurants any
more, either. Online seafood shops will deliver the very
freshest lobsters overnight to your home.
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