How Long to Boil Soft Shell Maine Lobster

Posted on September 23, 2019

cooked soft shell whole maine lobster

How Long to Boil Soft Shell Maine Lobster

It’s Now the Season to Take Advantage of the Lowest Prices of the Year on Sweet, Succulent Whole Maine Lobster

Come this time of year in late summer and early fall in New England, you will find that the locals will be out enjoying the lowest prices of the year on Maine lobster. It’s not unusual at all for a lobster lover to get the urge to stop by the local fish market and select a few pounds of new shell lobsters just on the spur of the moment. When you can buy a live, ocean fresh, whole-Maine lobster at $6.99 a pound at the Market Basket ,there is no reason to say no.

New shell lobsters – sometimes called soft shell lobsters – are lobsters that have recently shed their old hard shell in order to grow. When a lobster molts, the new shell grows underneath the old one. When cooked, the new shell is very soft and can usually be twisted off and crushed by bare fingers.

Cheap Lobster – $6.99 a Pound

Some people say the meat in the soft shell lobster is sweeter and more tender than lobster meat from a hard shell lobster. The lobster meat is easier to remove and even cooks faster. And the price is so low, its easy to add an extra lobster or two.

Experienced eaters will tell you there is more meat in a hard shell lobster pound for pound, and the hard shell lobster will live longer out of water and can travel further and be more easily shipped.

But at the lowest price of the year, buy three or four for two people. We recently picked up three 1.5 lbs new shell lobsters and a couple of pounds of steamers from our local market. We got out the kettle and made short work of adding the salt and water to put together a sunny Sunday afternoon lobster and clam feast. Preparation took about 30 minutes.

Boiled Soft Shell Lobster Recipe

Three whole Maine lobsters about 1.5 lbs. each
In a large kettle add six to seven quarts water
Add 1/4 cup sea salt
Bring water to roiling boil
Remove rubber bands (optional) and add each lobster one at a time to pot (head first).
Cover kettle and immediately start timing
Halfway through cooking, remove the top and stir the lobsters (about six minutes)
When done, lobsters will turn bright red.
Remove one lobster and pierce the tail. If fully cooked, the meat will have turned from translucent to white.
Take the lobsters out of the kettle and let drain three to four minutes.
Serve with lemon and melted butter.

Cook Times – Do Not Overcook

More good lobster has been ruined by the chef leaving them in the pot too long. Do not overcooked a lobster as the meat will turn mushy and flavorless quickly

Lobster Boil Recipe – New Shell Cook Faster
Size	Boil Time
One Pound	8 Minutes
One 1/4 Pound	9 to 10 Minutes
One 1/2 Pound	10 to 12 Minutes
One 3/4 Pound	12 to 13 Minutes
Two Pound	15 Minutes
Two 1/2 Pound	20 Minutes
Three Pound	25 Minutes
Five Pound	35 to 40 Minutes

Authentic Lobster Seafood Paella Recipe for Any Occassion

Posted on September 20, 2019

Lobster & Seafood Paella

We first encountered authentic lobster seafood paella recipe on the Mediterranean coast where the Valencians prepared the authentic rice dish with clams and mussels still in the shells and served the meal sizzling hot from a paella pan. The dish had been cooked over a hot wood-fire grill which gave the Bomba rice a delicious, smokey crunch.

We “Americanized” the Seafood Paella Recipe

Once back home, we “Americanized” the recipe by adding ocean fresh Maine lobster to the traditional clams and mussels creating a spectacular Lobster Seafood Paella.

Valencian Seafood Paella is a wonderful dish known all through the Mediterranean as a traditional peasant meal cooked over a wood fire grill and served from the pan. The presentation is spectacular and the recipe delicious and easily scaled for any size dinner party. The wonderful presentation of the lobster, shellfish, rice and vegetables create a dish suitable for any occasion. While the wood fired grill is the traditional cooking method, any outdoor grill or indoor stove top can be used.

Mediterranean Seafood Paella with Maine Lobster

Ingredients for dinner for four (scale for more people):

4 1-Pound Lobsters (or larger)
2 pounds Medium Shrimp
½ cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 medium Spanish Onions, peeled and chopped
6 cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped
2 pounds Ripe Plum Tomatoes, chopped
½ Red Bell Pepper, chopped
½ cup Dry White Wine
¼ cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 ½ cups Parsley Leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Salt
2 cups Bomba (Calasparra) Paella Rice (or other light brown, small to medium light grain rice)
1 tablespoon Crushed Saffron
20 Fresh Littleneck Clams washed and scrubbed
20 Fresh Mussels, scrubbed and beards removed
1 ½ Cups Fresh (Or Frozen) Green Peas

Directions:

In a large kettle, bring 6 quarts of salted water to a rolling boil. Blanch the lobsters two at a time over high heat. Cook until bright red — about 6 minutes. Transfer lobsters to a plate and set aside.
In the same kettle, add shrimp and cook until pink — about two minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and let cool in a bowl.
When cool, peel the shrimp and add the shells to the boiling water. Place the peeled shrimp aside and cover.
Twist the tails and claws from lobsters. Use a large chef’s knife to cut the lobster tails in half lengthwise. Crack the claws with the knife. Remove sac from bodies. Set the lobster aside and cover.
Reduce heat to low and simmer shrimp-shell mixture to make two quarts of fish stock for paella, about 30 minutes (Add water if necessary) Strain liquid and set aside.
When fish stock is ready, warm olive oil in 13-inch paella pan (15-inch if available) over medium heat.
Add onion and garlic to pan and sauté five minutes until onion is translucent.
Add tomatoes, peppers, lemon juice, and white wine and simmer about one minute. Stir in pepper and salt. Stir in parsley.
Stir in 1 quart fish stock and add rice. Stir in saffron. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Add a second quart of fish stock. Stir in clams, mussels, shrimp and lobster (tails, claws and bodies). Stir in peas.
Stirring occasionally, cook until all the clams and mussels are open, about five to seven minutes. Discard unopened clams and mussels.
Bring paella pan to the table and place on a heat-safe pad and serve immediately.

If you like this Lobster Seafood Paella recipe you may also wish to try our Boston Style Lobster Fra Diavolo recipe, the king of all spicy lobster dishes.

© Wayne Howe 2014

Boston and Cape Cod Cooking lobster and recipes Uber Lobster Chefs

Boston Lobster Fra Diavolo Recipe Sets the Standard

Posted on September 9, 2019

Lobster Fra Diavolo, the dish by which all other seafood dishes are judged! Be forewarned, preparing this seafood feast it not for the feint of heart. But the wonderful culinary rewards are worth it.

To introduce our dish, you should know that “Diavolo” is Italian for devil. As a culinary term it is used to describe a tomato based sauce that is liberally spiced, with “Fra Diavolo” the Italian term for brother devil: a spicy sauce prepared with linguine and fresh seafood.

Maine Lobster Fra Diavolo

Boston Favorite: Fra Diavolo with Lobster, Clams and Mussels

Ou r dish calls for preparing a homemade lobster stock made from fresh Maine Lobster. A favorite of Boston’s North End, the Boston Lobster Fra Diavolo recipe will feature lobster, clams and mussels and take four and one-half (4 ½) hours to prepare both the homemade lobster stock and the sauce. The recipe will serve four to six people.

The first step is to prepare the lobster stock. This begins by blanching the live lobsters, cracking the claws and tails and removing the meat. Set the lobster meat aside. Please see the directions for the lobster stock preparation below.

Recipe Ingredients

Boston Style Lobster Fra Diavolo:

3 fresh, hard-shell Maine lobsters, 1 ¼ pound each, blanched with meat from the claws and tails removed to add to sauce
1 pound linguine
12 littleneck clams, scrubbed
16 mussels, de-bearded and scrubbed
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¾ cup small diced onion
2 teaspoons shallots
3 tablespoons minced garlic
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 ½ cup lobster stock
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Fresh basil leaves, to garnish
¼ cup crushed red pepper flakes to taste
3 cups canned tomato sauce

Directions Boston Lobster Fra Diavolo:

Bring 1-gallon of salted water in large pot to a boil and add the pasta to the pot. Partially cook for 5 minutes, drain and drizzle with olive oil. Set aside. While cooking the pasta, place a 14-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onions to the pan and cook until caramelized, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and shallots and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the red pepper flakes and sauté about 30 seconds. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook the ingredients until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

Add the clams to the pan, cover and cook about three minutes. Add the mussels to the pan, cover and cook about three minutes. Add the lobster to the pan and cook for two minutes. Add the parsley to the pan. Add the partially cooked pasta to the pan. Add 1 ½ cup of the lobster stock and continue to cook. Toss the pasta in the sauce until al dente, about four to five minutes. Season the pasta with the salt and toss again. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

Ingredients

Maine Lobster Fra Diavolo Simmering in a pot

Simmer in Stock Pot

Lobster Stock:

Par boil lobster for five minutes, cool and remove meat from claws and tails
Add lobster body, cracked claw and tail shells
1/8 cup vegetable oil
2 celery ribs, cut in quarters
2 tomatoes, chopped coarsely
1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 small fennel bulb
1 small head garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions Lobster Stock

Heat vegetable oil in large stock pot. Add the empty lobster claw and tail shells and stir. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, tomatoes and thyme. Cut the fennel and garlic bulbs in half and add to the pot. Cover ingredients with two inches of water. Bring pot to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until mixture is reduced by half (about 4 hours). Add salt and black pepper to season. Strain stock and set liquid aside.

Wine Selection

The recipe screams to be served with a sparkling Rose Champagne or a light, traditional Chianti.

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