Lobster is all well and good as a treat in a fancy restaurant, but how about serving it at home?
Lots of the major supermarkets are stocking lobster as a treat for Christmas this year – and with many of them already cooked, it could be an easier dish to make than you’d expect.
If you are tempted to ditch the beloved prawn cocktail for a more elaborate shellfish starter or want to make a showstopper seafood platter, it’s always best to know how to get the most lobster meat from this expensive ingredient. So we asked the experts at Masterchef to share their step-by-step guide for the best way to get the meat out of a cooked lobster.
1. Rinse the lobster under cold running water and pat dry with kitchen paper, then place on a cutting board. Take hold of the tail and twist it sharply away from the body to detach it.
2. Set the lobster’s body aside and turn the tail over with the shell-side down. Using a pair of sharp kitchen scissors, and beginning at the far end of the tail, cut down the centre towards the thickest part.
3. Using your thumbs, pull the shell apart along the line where you cut it with scissors, and fold the shell back. You should now be able to extract the meat in one piece.
4. To remove the meat from the claws, crack them open with a lobster cracker or a small hammer. Once the shell has been opened, extract the meat inside carefully, and discard any attached membrane
