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Lobsters To Boil and Open a Lobster

Fill a kettle with warm water (not boiling), put in the lobster head downward, add a tablespoonful of salt, cover the kettle and stand it over a very quick fire. They suffer less by being put into warm than in boiling water. In the latter they are killed by heat, in warm water they are smothered. A medium sized lobster should boil half an hour; a larger one three-quarters. Cooking them too long makes them tough, and the meat will stick to the shell. When done and cool separate the tail from the body and twist off all the claws; shake out carefully the tom-alley (this is the liver of the lobster, and may be known by its greenish color); also the coral. Then draw the body from the shell, remove the stomach (sometimes called the lady), which is found immediately under the head, and throw this away. Now split the body through the centre and pick the meat from the cells. Cut the under side of the tail shell, loosen the meat and take it out in one solid piece. Now split the meat of the tail open and you will uncover a little vein running its entire length, this remove. The vein is not always the same color; sometimes it is red, sometimes black and sometimes white; but in all cases it must be carefully taken out and thrown away. The stomach or lady, the vein and the spongy fingers between the body and shell are the only parts not eatable. Crack the claws and take out the meat.

To serve plain boiled lobster, arrange the meat thus taken out in the centre of a cold dish, garnishing with the claws, sprigs of fresh parsley, hard boiled eggs cut into quarters, and pickled beets cut into fancy shapes. Let each person season to suit one's self.