When a live lobster for delivery arrives at your door carefully unpack and make sure claws all have been banded before handling. Sometimes they may slip during transit. You do not want a loose claw to grab one of your fingers as it would snap it into like a twig. Only take the bands off claws when the lobster has died.
If you have fully cooked and frozen your lobster or lobster meats make sure you never defrost them. This will take away from the flavorings being held within the lobsters. Only heat until warm no hotter as it will make the meat tough instead of tender.
It is very simple to cook live lobsters and only takes about ten minutes a pound to boil. All you need is a very large pot for boiling them with salt added and crab or seafood boil if you want them to turn out with more of a Louisiana flavor. Place lobster head first into pot and cook until the shells turn a bright shade of red. This means they are ready to be moved from the pot.
A helpful tip to remember is to always pierce a hole in the lobsters head as soon as they are removed from the pot. The meat will be tender and mouthwatering when removed from the shells.
Casseroles and stews are even better when you add in the water the lobster was cooked within. It will only add to the flavor of these dishes. You can also freeze the broth until it is needed.
An important thing to remember is too be sure the lobsters you are cooking is in good health. Never cook a lobster whose tail is straight this means he died in transit or before cooking. You should always take a sniff of your lobsters before cooking to make sure they all smell of freshness. If there is a strange unrecognizable scent to them then never cook them as they could make you and your family sick. They are best cooked as soon as you receive them.
When preparing to cook your live lobster know that the hard shell takes longer to cook and the softer shelled ones take less time.
You can also grill whole lobsters on a hot to medium hot setting. Whole lobsters are placed onto a pre-heated grill and then left on one side til it turns bright red then turned and left on opposite side until that is the same in color. Serve with delicious garlic butter and gumbo if you have it on hand.
You can split live lobsters for delivery and cook on the grill too if a whole one is too much for just one person to eat. Start with the meat side down and turn once 3-4 minutes is up and when on the shell side cook about 6-8 minutes more until shell is bright red shade and meat is very tender. It is important to remember not to overcook.