Quantcast
Newspaper cover

Flip through
today’s papers
Newspaper cover

Flip through
today’s papers
Eat & Drink

How to eat lobster

By Posted on
  • Get ready to break this guy apart.
    Photo Credit: Meredith Deliso
  • Here's what you'll need to break apart a lobster - from left, a lobster fork, claw cracker and scissors (or knife).
    Photo Credit: Meredith Deliso
  • One of your biggest tools, though, are your hands. Use them to separate the tail from the body.
    Photo Credit: Meredith Deliso
  • Next, snap the claws and knuckles off from the body.
    Photo Credit: Meredith Deliso
  • Off goes the second claw!
    Photo Credit: Meredith Deliso
  • Now that the tail, claws and knuckles are separated from the body, you can start getting at the meat.
    Photo Credit: Meredith Deliso
  • Remove the fin from the tail.
    Photo Credit: Meredith Deliso
  • Split the tail by breaking it apart in your hands.
    Photo Credit: Meredith Deliso
  • With the shell cracked, you can easily peel the tail meat off from the shell.
    Photo Credit: Meredith Deliso
  • Next you're going to tackle the knuckles and claws by first twisting them apart.
    Photo Credit: Meredith Deliso
  • Working on the claws, first take the smaller, thumb-like part off. This should easily come off by hand.
    Photo Credit: Meredith Deliso
  • Use the lobster fork to help get the meat out of this part of the claw.
    Photo Credit: Meredith Deliso
  • Use your claw cracker to then break open the larger part of the claw - fair warning, this will take some effort. You can use your lobster fork after it's cracked open to help get the claw meat out.
    Photo Credit: Meredith Deliso
  • Next, break open the knuckles using a pair of small scissors, like herb clippers, or a knife, by making four cuts around the shell to remove the meat.
    Photo Credit: Meredith Deliso
  • Congrats, you're done! Now you can enjoy the tail, claw and knuckle meat with some lemon and butter. If you so desire, you can also break open the legs and suck the meat out. Also, don't be alarmed by the green gook at the end of the tail meat (the lobster's liver and pancreas). It's totally edible, but you can wash or cut this off if you can't, um, stomach it.
    Photo Credit: Meredith Deliso
  • And thanks to Cull & Pistol sous chef Josh Davoudi for guiding us through the process!
    Photo Credit: Meredith Deliso

When eating a whole lobster, the ends justifies the means. Breaking apart the crustacean can be a somewhat difficult, messy affair, especially if you’ve never done it before. But then you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor – fresh, savory seafood.

If you plan on digging in to a steamed lobster this summer, Josh Davoudi, sous chef at seafood joint Cull & Pistol, shows us the best way to break down a lobster in five minutes or less.

Don your bib and let’s get cracking!

About the Author

More from Eat & Drink

More from around NYC