Lobster Equivalents and Famous Recipes

Lobster is not for sushi but for many famous recipes

By Peggy Trowbridge Filippone

Lobster Belly Underside

© 2008 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone

Lobster Equivalents and Measures

• 1 pound cooked = about 2 cups chopped chunks

• 1 (8-ounce) tail = 1 serving or 4 ounces cooked meat

• 1 (1- to 1-1/2-pound) whole lobster = 1 serving or 4 ounces cooked meat

• For salads: cooked monkfish can be substituted for cooked lobster.

Cooking Lobster

Lobster must be cooked before it is eaten. The meat inside the tail and claws is the main draw for lobster aficionados, but if you are tenacious enough, each of the small legs and feelers also have tiny succulent morsels. 

The coral and tomalley are also tasty treats for the lucky diner with a whole lobster. The intestine, which runs down the back, and the sand sac in the head should be removed and discarded.

The lobster shell makes a wonderful stock which can be used to flavor seafood soups, bisques and stews. Crushed shells can be simmered gently in melted butter as a flavoring. Sift out the shells and save the butter to cook seafood or use as a spread.

When you order lobster tail in a restaurant or purchase frozen lobster tails, you are most likely getting spiny (Florida) lobster or rock lobster, relatives of the Maine lobster. These are claw-less, with the edible portion primarily coming from the tail. The meat is a bit stringier and less sweet, but still quite delectable.

Lobster can be boiled, steamed, broiled, grilled or stir-fried. Freshly cooked lobster is often served with drawn butter and/or lemon. Famous lobster dishes include Lobster l'Americaine, Lobster Thermidor, Lobster Newburg, and Lobster Rolls. Lobster-lovers usually prefer their favorite crustacean pretty much naked, with nothing to disguise or cover the sweet flavor or ruin the delicate texture.

As you move on to the lobster recipes, keep in mind that crab can be substituted for many of these lobster recipes if you so desire. Likewise, lobster can also be substituted for crab in most cases.