Food Guide
How to Eat a Lobster
Don't be intimidated by the shell. Here is your step-by-step guide to cracking, picking, and enjoying a whole Maine lobster.
Ordering a whole lobster (“from away”) can be daunting. It arrives bright red, steaming hot, and looking like a prehistoric armored creature. Don’t panic. Eating a lobster is a messy, hands-on ritual that is part of the fun.
The Tools
You will be armed with:
- Cracker: A metal nutcracker for the claws.
- Pick: A long, thin fork for getting meat out of crevices.
- Bib: Yes, wear it. Lobster juice will fly.
- Discard Bowl: For the shells.
The Steps
- The Claws: Twist them off the body. Crack the “knuckles” and push the meat out with the pick. Break the thumb off the claw, then crack the main claw shell.
- The Tail: Arch the back until it cracks, then unroll the tail and twist it off the body. Stick your fork into the end (where the flippers are) and push the meat out the big end.
- The Legs: Twist them off. Suck the meat out like a straw (or use a rolling pin method).
- The Body: There is meat in there! Pull the top shell up and look for the “tomalley” (green stuff—it’s the liver, and it’s a delicacy, though not for everyone). Pick out the white meat around the leg joints.
The Butter
Dip. Eat. Repeat.