Lobster, The Cooking Process

Maine lobster are at their peak during the cold season, the shell is thicker, the meat is denser and the flavor cleaner. The saltiness of deep and cold water make seafood taste differently, which is the opposite of warm water seafood. I guess that the sweetness of the meat increases during the winter due to the natural elements around the lobsters and also the change in what they eat.

We receive our lobsters live twice a week directly from Maine. We can use up to 150 pieces a week. Preparing lobsters for service is usually done in the morning, so we can use the shells to make bouillon and sauces. After putting them to sleep in a blast freezer, we steam the tail for two minutes in a combi oven at 130°C.  Then we remove the meat from the shell and cool down immediately. We do the same for the claws, but they are steamed for just four minutes. The ends of the tails and claws are trimmed, and the lobsters are stored in a cooler.

During servicewe cook the lobster at two different temperatures. The first higher is set at 85°C in the combi oven on steam. The lobster is placed intoemulsified butter for 4 minutes. This higher temperature creates an envelope that keeps the natural crunchiness of the meat.

Then the lobster is pulled from the oven, placed into another container of emulsified butter that goes into a water bath set at 62°C. The lobster rests for five minutes and heats up to the serving temperature which is around 50°C in the center. Holding the meat at a lower temperature allows it to continue cooking, but also lets it rest and become softer.