Ingredients:

1 ounce sea salt

1 quart water

1 medium (1.25 lb) live Maine lobster

Directions:

Bring water to a boil. Drop lobster into pot head first (if you put them in tail first, you risk being splashed with boiling water). Cover pot. Start timing from the time that you put the lobster into the pot.

A medium hard-shell lobster will take about 20 minutes and a medium soft-shell only about 15 minutes.

It is important to note that it is very difficult to overcook lobsters. When they are cooked longer, they get more tender. However, when you undercook a lobster, you run the risk of not having the tomalley (liver) of the lobster fully cooked. The tomalley turns green only when fully cooked. If it is not fully cooked, it will be a blackish, oily substance when you open up the lobster. This is why we always suggest erring on the side of adding a few extra minutes if you are not sure.

It is fine to cook several lobsters at the same time as long as the water is able to come back to a boil during the cooking process.

— Courtesy of Maine Import Export Lobster Dealers’ Association. For more recipes, visit www.mainelobsterdealers.org.

Selecting live Maine lobster

Color: Maine lobsters are usually greenish brown or black in color, but can also be blue, yellow, red or even white. The color of a lobster’s shell does not affect its flavor or texture.

Activity: Look for lobsters that move around and hold their claws upward and their tails straight. Claws should never hang limply and the tails should never curl underneath its body.

Shells: Black marks or holes in the lobster’s shell are the result of wear and tear and usually indicate an older lobster that hasn’t recently shed its shell. Marks are not harmful in any way.

Hard Shell Lobster: Hard shell lobsters have been living in their shells for quite a while, and so they’re usually fuller. However, it requires the use of utensils to gain access to the meat.

New Shell Lobster: New shell lobsters have recently molted and are growing into their new shells. Many people think new shell lobster meat is sweeter and more tender than the meat of a hard shell lobster and it is significantly easier to remove from the shell. — Courtesy of Maine Lobster Council. For more information about lobsters, visit www.lobsterfrommaine.com.