How To Salvage Overcooked Lobster

For many people, cooking lobster at home is a rare and special treat. The arduous process of maintaining the lobster population's health, plus the fact that they are seasonal and considered a delicacy, converge to make lobster cost so much. So, when most people get their hands on them, they want to make their dish a delicious and memorable experience. If the lobster meat gets overcooked, that culinary dream can feel like it's turned into a disaster.

But hope isn't entirely lost in this shaky seafood situation. We spoke to Curt Brown, an experienced lobster fisherman, Marine Biologist for Ready Seafood, and board member of the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative, to get his opinion on how to salvage precious lobster meat that has been cooked past its prime. 

He suggested, "The best option for overcooked meat is to cut up the lobster into smaller pieces and serve it in a dish that can be complemented by a firmer meat and also offers some liquid or sauce to counteract the potential dryness of the meat, such as mac and cheese or a lobster piccata." In other words, this isn't the time for lobster rolls.

He added the importance of not giving the lobster any additional cook time as well, saying, "Make sure to add the lobster meat after the dish is fully cooked and ready to serve to avoid further cooking the lobster!"

Although mistakes inevitably happen in the kitchen, Curt Brown did confess that, ultimately, "[it's] best to follow cooking directions closely to avoid this mistake. If you overcook lobster, the meat will become tough and chewy." With so many different methods that can be used to prepare lobster, how does one get it right and turn out perfectly cooked lobster meat? A lot has to do with the size and weight of the crustacean. In general, if you're boiling the lobster, count on seven to ten minutes for a 1-pound lobster, 10 to 14 minutes for a 1.5-pound lobster, and add two minutes for each additional half-pound.

Boiling is arguably the easiest method for greenhorn lobster chefs. Once the lobster is done, plunge it into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process; if you're grilling, broiling, or baking the lobster, you can't exactly give it an ice bath, but you should cook it just until the meat becomes opaque and starts to pull away from its shell naturally. And, remember, keep a box of macaroni and a block of great cheese handy just in case the lobster ends up a little too tough.