4 quarts water
2 teaspoons salt
2 each 1 to 1¼ lb. live lobsters
6 Tablespoons butter, unsalted
4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8 sprigs chervil, leaves only, chopped (or substitute parsley)
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 each lemon, quartered lengthwise
For Lobster:
In an 8 to 10-quart stock pot over high heat, bring salted water to a rolling
boil. Blanch the lobsters for 3 minutes. Immediately remove and chill in a large
bowl filled with ice and water. In a couple of minutes, when the lobsters have
cooled enough to handle easily, place them on their backs on a cutting board.
With a large sharp kitchen knife or cleaver, cut each lobster lengthwise into
two separate halves, completely through the shell. Remove the intestinal tract
from the tails, and rinse halves under cold water to remove the tomalley. Crack
each claw and remove the meat. Cut the claw meat into bite-size portions and
place it in the split body cavity.
For Lemon-Chervil Butter
In a small saucepan, melt butter slowly over low heat being careful not to let
the butter brown. Add lemon juice, chervil and Old Bay Seasoning. Stir to blend
thoroughly and brush mixture liberally onto the exposed meat of both lobster
halves.
With the broiler set on “high,” cook lobster halves until the meat is opaque and nicely broiled, approximately 5 minutes. Serve immediately with fresh lemon wedges and remaining lemon-chervil butter for dipping.
Julienne Guyette from the cookbook
“Cooking Maine Lobster ... there’s more then one way”
published by the Maine Lobster Promotion Council