Originally published in the Summer 2015 edition of The Wave...
How to eat lobster like a local
Mon, 09/07/2015 - 2:30pm
Camden Harbormaster and former schooner captain Steve Pixley smiles in anticipation, before breaking the tail off the body of the lobster, which is the first step. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Step two: Grab the lobster’s tail fins in one hand, twist them off from the tail. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Holding the tail in the palm of your hand and then placing your other hand underneath, squeeze the sides of the lobster to crack the shell and release the large piece of meat inside. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
The soft, green substance at the end of the tail is tomalley. It functions as both the liver and pancreas and is eaten by some; otherwise, clean it out. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Lift the narrow flap off the top of the tail meat to expose the digestive tract, which contains waste. Discard that vein, like deveining shrimp. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
If you weren’t able to access the digestive tract above, continue to pull apart the tail meat down the center to expose it and then remove it. The flap and all of the white tail meat is the good stuff to eat. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
The is what the digestive tract vein looks like that you should discard. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Next, grasp and twist to remove each claw with its knuckles intact. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Holding the claw with one hand and the knuckles with the other, bend so that they separate. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Then work your way down the knuckles separating them from each other and crushing them to expose the meat that you can pull and pick out. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Next it’s time to break the claw, and a rock is a handy tool. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Some people love the claw meat, others the knuckles and still others the tail. But if you’re a local, you love it all. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
For some, the sweetest pieces of meat are the smallest and they are found in the body cavity and take some time and effort to find. But be sure and don’t eat the fuzzy gills you’ll find in there! (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Will the fall of 2015 be your first trip on a schooner and is the impending beach lobster bake scarier than the thought of Jaws chasing you down? Or have you always been so intimidated about cracking a hard shell lobster open that you bribe family and friends to do it for you?
Fear not, as we have assembled a photo tutorial to get you primed and ready to master the art of eating a lobster like a local.
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