How to De-shell a Lobster Tail
Lobsters not only offer sweet succulent meat, but they are low in calories as well. A 3.5 oz. serving contains just 98 calories and 2 g of fat. No matter what recipe you are attempting, if you purchase live lobsters, you must cook them and de-shell them before enjoying them -- and de-shelling a lobster can be quite a chore. If you handle the tail correctly, you don't even need lobster crackers to de-shell the lobster and remove the meat. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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1
Rest the lobster on a flat, hard surface or cutting board. Grab hold of the tail with one hand and grab the body with the other. Pull the tail firmly away from the body while gently twisting it back and forth until the two pieces separate.
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2
Position the lobster so the underside of the tail is facing down. Squeeze the top of the shell with both hands until you hear it crack.
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3
Re-orient the tail so the underside is now facing up.
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4
Grab each side of the lobster tail. A crack should be visible down the center of the tail where the tail broke from being squeezed. Break the tail in the direction opposite the crack. The tail will now either be in two separate pieces or extremely limber from the shell being broken.
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5
Remove the lobster meat with your hand. The meat should slide right out of the shell. If it is stuck, use a lobster pick to loosen the meat before sliding it out by working around the edges where the shell and meat are still attached.
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Tips & Warnings
If the lobster shell is too thick to break, use the lobster cracker to crack along several parts of the tail before proceeding to Step 2.
Wear gloves if the lobster is sharp.
References
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty Images
