Lobsters – what are they and useful properties, how to cook, cut and eat properly

The content of the article

• What are lobsters
• How do they look
• How many live
• Chemical composition
• Beneficial features
• Hazardous properties
• How to Carve Lobster
• How to cook
• How to eat lobster
• Rules for selection and storage
• Price

Lobsters are a family of Atlantic decapod crustaceans that people readily eat. It is known that by the beginning of the nineteenth century an attempt was made to artificially breed marine animals. Lobsters and lobsters did not take root in the conditions created by man, or from a commercial point of view, the content turned out to be unprofitable. This cancer lives in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean at a depth of not more than 200 meters. Lobsters are carrion predators. Animals feed on algae, benthos (zooplankton), organic remains, small fish.

What are lobsters

This is the most famous crustacean subspecies that is often confused with lobsters. In fact, these are etymologically different names for one creature. From a culinary point of view, lobsters are an expensive delicacy rich in vitamins and minerals. The large body of the lobster, which hides a powerful shell, is famous for a large number of delicate tasty meat with a unique marine aroma. The cost of fresh crustacean in frozen or alive form can vary from 3000-15000 rubles per kg.

How do they look

Lobsters are large crustaceans that can reach 40-50 cm in length. They have a solid chitinous shell, covered with unevenly spiked outgrowths. The front pair of limbs – powerful claws with a serrated edge, perfectly adapted for grasping and tearing prey. The tail is powerful, with pronounced articulations of the chitinous cover, approximately one third of the body length, taking into account the limbs. Under the carapace there are 4 pairs of paws located close to each other. The color of the outer shell varies depending on age, a subspecies of lobster.

Often, lobsters are confused with spiny lobsters, although the differences between the subspecies are very pronounced. The latter are distinguished by an elongated body, strongly elongated limbs. They do not have a claw: subspecies of crustaceans feed on plankton, carrion, and algae. On the front of the head are two antennae coated with chitin. The length of the processes is approximately equal to the rest of the spiny lobster, which in appearance, structure, and location of internal organs resembles an ordinary shrimp.

How many live

Like all crustaceans, lobsters grow all their lives, gradually going through a complex biological process of changing their shells, called molting. Conditionally, the age of the lobster can be determined by body size, color. It is known that the maximum recorded life expectancy of a male was 31 years, females – 54. Particularly old individuals acquire a more matte shell color, according to which they can easily be distinguished from young animals. The largest lobster was caught off the coast of Canada. The mass of an individual, according to the Guinness Book of Records, was 20.15 kg.

Chemical composition

A key distinguishing feature of marine crustaceans is the chemical composition. The body of the arthropod inhabitants of the oceans is very rich in healthy salts, vitamins, micro and macro elements. This is due to the peculiarities of their range (habitat), as well as the diet. The use of tender lobster meat helps to strengthen human immunity, improve physical fitness, normalize the acid-base balance of the blood, etc. The meat of these crustaceans contains the following substances:

1. Vitamins Half of group B: choline, niacin, riboflavin, pyridoxine, folic, pantothenic acid, cyanocobalamin, vitamins A, E.
2. Macronutrients. Sodium, phosphorus, potassium, many salts of calcium, magnesium.
3. Trace elements. Copper, Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Selenium.

Beneficial features

Due to the presence of a large number of useful chemical elements and compounds, lobster meat can conditionally be considered a means of prevention, treatment of certain diseases. Residents of countries that have access to the sea, often eating Atlantic crustaceans, celebrate their excellent health. Such people are statistically less affected by chronic diseases of the immune, cardiovascular, and digestive systems. When using the product, the following processes in the body are noted:

1. Improving the work of the cardiovascular system, stabilizing the process of hematopoiesis, strengthening the walls of blood vessels, capillaries.
2. Beneficial effect on the hormonal background associated with the reproductive system. Normalization of testosterone production in men.
3. Contributing to the removal of toxins from the intestines. Decreased digestibility of fatty acids.
4. Improving the body’s defense systems, normalizing the immune system.
5. Stabilization of the nervous system, reduction of stress levels, development of resistance to the effects of strong emotional and mental stress.

Hazardous properties

People who suffer from gout are wary of consuming Atlantic crustaceans. Lobster meat contains a lot of purine, which contributes to the accumulation and production of large amounts of uric acid, which exacerbates the symptoms of the disease. Lobster meat itself is considered a high protein diet. Its use in large quantities will lead to a sharp increase in blood cholesterol, which will adversely affect the work of the cardiovascular system. The manifestation of an individual allergy to similar seafood is not excluded.

How to Carve Lobster

To get meat from a large arthropod carcass bound in a strong chitinous carapace is very simple. To do this, you will need large scissors, a towel or any clean cloth, cloth and latex gloves, a durable knife with a wide massive blade, a large board. Cutting is performed in the following order:

1. Wear fabric construction gloves that protect your skin from sharp chitin splinters. Pull the latex over so that no tissue fibers remain on the carapace.
2. Dampen a small cloth, spread it under the board so that it does not slip.
3. Grasp the top of the lobster head plate. With your other hand, gently loosen and twist the limbs with claws in a circular motion. In the same way, divide them in two into joints. Get 6 finished parts.
4. To remove meat from a lobster claw, it needs to be broken. Make it a sharp, hard blow with the flat, blunt side of the knife. Claws phalanx cut along the tubular carapace with scissors.
5. The tail should be separated from the body in a circular motion. Its chitin cover may be needed for a beautiful presentation, so do not rush to separate it. Inside the rest of the lobster are internal organs that are not eaten.
6. In especially large individuals, you can get meat from 4 hind pairs of limbs. Legs are separated and cut like small phalanges of claws.

How to cook

In the restaurant menu you can find many dishes that require different types of culinary processing of lobster. The main methods of its preparation are baking, digestion, frying. Serve crustacean with other seafood like caviar, mussels, scallops. The following cooking methods are most popular:

1. Boiling. The traditional intermediate method of preparation, followed by further culinary processing. To boil lobster, water is salted at the rate of 170 g of salt per 2 liters of liquid. After boiling, the lobster is thrown into the vat as a whole. Boiling time depends on the weight of the carcass: for every kilogram there are 20 minutes. Then the shell acquires the famous bright red color.
2. Roasting. Often used for pre-cooking before being added to Caesar-style salads. The most presentable parts are used – claws, phalanges of the legs. They are turned out of the joints in circular motions, chitin is cut or cracked. The extracted meat is fried very quickly in refined olive oil.
3. Roasting. The most beautiful lobster dishes are created using this method. There are two known options for feeding and pre-cutting carcasses of arthropods. In the first case, only the tail is baked, with which the lower part of the armor is cut off with scissors, where the filling is placed. The second way: with a very sharp knife, the lobster is divided in two along the body. The entrails are cleaned, half of the animal is stuffed with filling, baked, served on a large dish.

How to eat lobster

Large marine arthropods are a delicacy, the rules of use of which are worth understanding. To properly cut the whole cooked lobster carcass, you will need a special long fork, scissors, special tongs for breaking claws. Like all seafood, arthropods are usually eaten with their hands, only helping themselves with cutlery. Depending on the method of preparation and serving, the way of eating may vary.

Start with massive animal claws. Twist and break them out of the joints. Break the front grasping phalanx with special forceps so that you can get the meat. Cut the chitinous cover of the remaining parts with scissors. Stick a fork in the upper torso to make it easier to hold onto the tail. Turn the last one by pulling away from the carcass. Open the lower layer of his shell with scissors, get a black vein. You can start meat.

Rules for selection and storage

Before buying a lobster, figure out how to distinguish a fresh product from a spoiled one. Remember that marine arthropods can maintain their usable appearance for no longer than a day. You can delay product spoilage by shock freezing. There is no particular difficulty in determining the freshness of a lobster: the difference between a spoiled and a quality product is obvious. Find out the ways, conditions, shelf life of Atlantic arthropods, the rules for choosing them when buying:

1. The first sign of a quality fresh product is a pleasant marine aroma. When the lobster spoils, the carcass begins to exude a terrible putrid smell.
2. Large crustaceans are single. They are kept alive strictly in separate aquariums, otherwise individuals can greatly harm each other. Recently caught lobster can be easily identified by the shiny black eyes, the moving antennae, which the animal seeks to feel all around..
3. Fresh chilled product can be easily distinguished from a damaged tail, which should be in a folded state of tension.
4. After slaughter, large marine crustaceans are stored for less than a day. Do not try to put live lobster in an aquarium with fresh water – such an environment will quickly destroy it..
5. At low temperature, cooked lobster meat is stored for two days without losing freshness.
6. Before serving the whole boiled crustacean carcass, which was cooked more than 5-6 hours ago, boil it again for 2-3 minutes.

Price

The cost of high-quality seafood like lobsters, spiny lobsters, tiger prawns, sea urchins, scallops and oysters varies greatly depending on storage conditions, variety of animal, store margins. So, lobsters caught in cold waters significantly exceed their “warm” counterparts in taste. This explains the multiple difference in their value. Price range of Atlantic arthropods for the Moscow region: