# First time lobster cooking experience, need answer fast! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 19, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-lobster-cooking-experience-need-answer-fast/619330 "2012-04-19T22:56:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-lobster-cooking-experience-need-answer-fast/619330/1 "2012-04-19T22:56:36Z")
So I blew a lot of money on a lobster from the USA and was wondering how best to cook it for a first timer? My wife wants to cut it half and stuff it with onions and various other stuff and then bake it in the oven. I’m thinking a quick boil would be better(I’d like to actually taste this sucker rather than seasonings). Oh yea I have butter and lemons handy 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-lobster-cooking-experience-need-answer-fast/619330/2 "2012-04-19T23:06:46Z")
Whoever shipped you the lobster didn’t include any basic cooking instructions? [Here are some](http://www.cooking-lobster.com/cooking-lobster/index.html). And [here](http://www.lobsters-online.com/catalog/docs/recipes.htm). This site includes instructions for [baking tails in the](http://www.lobsterhelp.com/baking-lobster-tails.html)oven. Here are results for [baked stuffed whole lobsters](http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,baking_whole_lobster,FF.html). ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-lobster-cooking-experience-need-answer-fast/619330/3 "2012-04-19T23:26:28Z")
Whatever you do, look it up rather than winging it. Long before the internet, I got a lobster tail, brought it home…and had no idea what to do with it. I baked it in the oven, which sounded good, but I must have done something horribly wrong because I ended up with just a solid piece of rubber that was completely inedible. 😛 So good luck, and let us know how it turns out! ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-lobster-cooking-experience-need-answer-fast/619330/4 "2012-04-19T23:29:43Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Whoever shipped you the lobster didn’t include any basic cooking instructions? > > [Here are some](http://www.cooking-lobster.com/cooking-lobster/index.html). And [here](http://www.lobsters-online.com/catalog/docs/recipes.htm). This site includes instructions for [baking tails in the](http://www.lobsterhelp.com/baking-lobster-tails.html)oven. Here are results for [baked stuffed whole lobsters](http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,baking_whole_lobster,FF.html). Boil or steam following the linked guidelines. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-lobster-cooking-experience-need-answer-fast/619330/5 "2012-04-19T23:36:17Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > Whatever you do, look it up rather than winging it. Long before the internet, I got a lobster tail, brought it home…and had no idea what to do with it. I baked it in the oven, which sounded good, but I must have done something horribly wrong because I ended up with just a solid piece of rubber that was completely inedible. 😛 So good luck, and let us know how it turns out! Thats what I was afraid of happening, I’ll probably boil it. BTW the tail is full of roe(orange goo) which I see is edible?:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-lobster-cooking-experience-need-answer-fast/619330/6 "2012-04-20T00:18:50Z")
I personally find that baking them is best. purplehorseshoe’s link is quite similar to what I do with tails in the oven. I have also had good luck with Emeril Lagasse’s Lobster Thermidor recipe. The recipe boils the lobster for a bit then finishes the cooking in the oven. I don’t do the green beans that are the accompaniment in the linked recipe. [http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/lobster-thermidor-recipe/index.html](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/lobster-thermidor-recipe/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-lobster-cooking-experience-need-answer-fast/619330/7 "2012-04-20T02:41:06Z")
Boiled it and tried to time it at five minutes, it STILL seemed to be slightly overcooked! Wow lobster overcooks very easy. It was good I guess, not as good as king crab legs though 🙂