The Kitchen Tools You Need To Make Eating Whole Lobster Easier

Cooking lobster at home requires more technique than simply grilling up prepared tails. Whole lobsters, even if you buy the freshest crustaceans, can be tricky because of their tough shell that you have to break through. But with the right tools, any cooking task becomes easier. Fortunately, cracking open whole lobsters doesn't require specialized equipment. In fact, you probably have everything you need in your kitchen already.

According to celebrity chef at this year's U.S. Open, Josh Capon, there are only two simple tools you need to easily eat a whole lobster. "You will need an old knife and a pair of scissors to get the job done," Capon says. You'll want to use an old knife so that you won't have to worry about how the shell will damage the blade. Avoid using a thin or brittle blade to prevent it from breaking as you work through the shell. Remember to keep the blade sharp to continue splitting lobsters in half, because the shell will dull the blade quickly. Once the lobster is split, you can easily use scissors to cut the rest of the lobster open.

While using an inexpensive, sharp knife and a pair of scissors makes it easier to half a whole lobster, chef Capon has another tip that will help relieve some of the task's difficulty: blanching. "After you cook your lobsters, be sure to put them in an ice bath," Capon says. Though you might guess that blanching the lobster it to prevent the meat from becoming too tough, the simple technique has an extra advantage. Capon explains, "This will stop the cooking process and help separate the meat from the shell."

So not only will an ice bath prevent the lobster from becoming chewy from overcooking, it will make the task of halving the whole lobster much easier too. You can follow these tips to avoid under-cooked lobster as well. The next time you cook whole lobsters at home, arm yourself with the right tools and keep this tip in mind for an easier time in the kitchen — and consider trying our lobster spaghetti with white wine-tomato sauce recipe.