Fondue Lobster Cooking Time: Perfectly Cooked In Minutes

Lobster fondue is a delicious and indulgent dish that combines the creamy texture of cheese fondue with the sweetness of lobster meat. While there are different recipes and variations, the basic concept involves cooking lobster and adding it to a cheese fondue made with Swiss cheese, spices, and sometimes wine or beer. The lobster can be boiled, steamed, or grilled, and then cut into bite-sized pieces before being added to the fondue. The cooking time for lobster depends on its size, with a 1-pound lobster taking about 7-10 minutes to boil, and larger lobsters needing slightly longer. The lobster meat is then combined with the fondue, creating a rich and savory dish that can be served with a variety of dippers, such as bread cubes, vegetables, or additional seafood.

How to prepare lobster for fondue

Preparing lobster for fondue involves cooking the lobster and then combining it with other ingredients in a fondue pot. Here is a step-by-step guide:

Cooking the Lobster

Start by selecting live lobsters from the market, choosing those that are most lively, have no noticeable cracks on their shells, and have all their parts. Look for lobsters that are 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds, which is a good size for a single serving. Store the lobsters in a sturdy paper bag in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook them.

When you are ready to cook, fill a large pot 3/4 full of water and add a tablespoon of salt for every quart of water. Bring the water to a rapid boil. Grasp the lobster by its body and lower it upside down and head first into the boiling water. Boil the lobster for 7 to 14 minutes, depending on its size. A 1-pound lobster will take 7 to 10 minutes, while a 1 1/2-pound lobster will take 10 to 14 minutes. The lobster should be a bright vivid red color when done.

Once the lobster is cooked, remove it from the pot with tongs and place it on a plate to drain and cool. You can then extract the meat from the claws, knuckles, and tail, using a nut cracker to crack the shells. Pull away the broken shell pieces and remove the meat.

Preparing the Fondue

Cut the lobster meat into large chunks and place them in a serving dish. You can use a combination of cooked lobster meat and other seafood, such as crab, scallops, or shrimp, for added texture and flavor.

In a separate bowl, mix shredded Swiss cheese and Gruyere cheese with flour or cornstarch, tossing them together with a fork. Crush and rub garlic on the sides and bottom of the fondue dish or saucepan.

Pour wine into the fondue dish and heat it until bubbles rise to the surface. Gradually add the cheese mixture, stirring constantly over low heat until melted. You can adjust the consistency by adding more cheese or wine until you reach the desired thickness.

Finally, add the lobster chunks to the fondue pot and serve immediately. Enjoy dipping pieces of bread, vegetables, or other dippers of your choice into the delicious lobster fondue!

How to make cheese fondue

Cheese fondue is a fun, communal dish that's perfect for sharing with friends. It's also a great way to use up leftover cheese! Here's a step-by-step guide on how to make classic cheese fondue.

Ingredients

• 500 g Camembert
• 400 g Gruyère
• 400 g Vacherin Fribourgeois
• 625 ml dry white wine
• 6 teaspoons cornflour (US: cornstarch)
• 3 tablespoons Kirsch
• 2-3 small cloves of garlic
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 loaf of crusty bread (white or brown), cut into bite-sized cubes
• Boiled small new potatoes
• Pickled corn and/or pickled onions

Optional Extras

• Bacon
• Crispy salad
• Pineapple
• Pickled baby corn
• Apples
• Radishes
• Grilled zucchini
• Summer squash
• Roasted brussels sprouts
• Roasted baby potatoes

Method

• Start by chopping or grating all of the cheese. Make sure you remove any rind, otherwise, your fondue won't be smooth.
• Toss the grated cheese with cornstarch to help thicken the fondue and prevent the cheese from clumping.
• Heat the white wine in a large fondue pot, preferably made of cast iron. You can also use a heavy cast-iron pot on the stove, then transfer to a fondue pot to serve.
• Once the wine is simmering, add the cheese and use a whisk to combine.
• Mix the cornflour and Kirsch in a small bowl, then whisk this mixture into the fondue to emulsify.
• The fondue should be thick and smooth but thin enough to lightly coat the bread cubes. If it's too thick, add more wine.
• Add the garlic cloves and season with pepper.
• Serve the fondue immediately on a stand over a medium flame. Keep stirring constantly to ensure it remains emulsified.

Tips

• If you want to reduce the alcohol content, simmer the wine for 3-5 minutes before adding the cheese. You can also omit the Kirsch.
• If you don't want to use whole garlic cloves, rub a garlic clove all over the inside of the pot before starting.
• You can make fondue ahead of time and reheat it before serving. It can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days.
• To thin leftover fondue, simply add some more white wine.

How long to boil lobster

Boiling is one of the simplest ways to cook and enjoy lobster meat at its most tender while keeping the flavor pure. However, one of the most common mistakes people make when boiling lobsters is overcooking them. This makes the meat tough and rubbery.

To boil lobster, you will need a large pot to avoid crowding the lobsters. A 4- to 5-gallon pot can hold 6 to 8 pounds of lobster. Fill the pot halfway with water, using about 1 gallon of water per lobster, so the lobsters are submerged by at least 3 inches. Add 2 tablespoons of salt for each quart of water, or skip the salt and use seawater if you have it. Bring the water to a boil over high heat.

When the water is boiling, carefully place the lobsters into the pot one at a time, headfirst, and start timing immediately. Cover the pot and return the water to a boil as quickly as possible. Regulate the heat to prevent the water from boiling over. The cooking time will depend on the size of your lobsters. As a general rule, lobsters weighing 1-1.5 lbs will take 6-9 minutes to boil, while a 5-pound lobster will take about 25 minutes. You can also determine doneness by checking the internal temperature of the lobsters with an instant-read thermometer. The ideal temperature range for cooked lobster is 135-140°F. The lobster's shell will also turn bright red when it is done, but this is not always a reliable indicator, especially for larger lobsters.

Once the lobsters are done cooking, carefully remove them from the pot with tongs and set them aside to cool for 5 minutes before cracking them open.

It is important to note that lobsters should always be cooked live. To kill lobsters humanely before boiling, place them in the freezer for about 15-25 minutes to numb them, then plunge them headfirst into the boiling water.

How to humanely kill a lobster

There are a few ways to humanely kill a lobster, but it's important to remember that the lobster must be killed immediately before cooking. Here are some methods that can be used:

Freezing:

Place the lobster in the freezer for 15 to 60 minutes before cooking. This will sedate the lobster and make it easier to handle. However, freezing is considered inhumane by some as lobsters can endure extreme temperatures.

Knife:

Use a sharp chef's knife to plunge the knife straight down into the carapace (part of the exoskeleton on the lobster's back). Place the tip of the knife behind the lobster's eyes, right below where the claws meet the body, and halfway to the first joint. Swiftly plunge the knife down through the head. The legs may continue to move afterward, but the lobster is dead.

Combination of Freezing and Knife:

Many chefs prefer to combine the two methods above. Freeze the lobster for 15 to 30 minutes, and then plunge the knife into the lobster.

Gradual Heating:

Instead of freezing, you can desensitize the lobster by placing it in a large pot in the sink. Start with cold tap water and gradually increase the water temperature until it is very hot. You can then use a knife to dispatch the lobster.

Boiling Water:

Freeze the lobster for 30 to 60 minutes, and then put it head-first into a pot of boiling water. The boiling water will kill it almost instantly, and the cold will immobilize the lobster so it won't thrash about. However, this method is considered inhumane by some due to the intense heat.

CrustaStun:

This method uses a specially designed device that electrocutes the lobster and kills it in seconds. However, it is quite expensive, with a price tag of about $3000.

It's important to note that the most inhumane way to kill a lobster is to dismember it without killing it first or at least stunning it with cold. Microwaving is also considered inhumane.

How to remove lobster meat from shell

Step 1: Start with the Tail

Once the cooked lobster is cool enough to handle, place it on a cutting board. Hold the tail with one hand and the body with the other, then twist to separate the two.

Step 2: Remove Tail Meat

Lay the tail on its side and use both hands to press down on it until the shell cracks. Hold the tail, with the flippers facing you and the shell facing down, and place your thumbs on opposite sides. Pull back on both sides to crack open the shell and remove the meat. Rinse the meat under running water to remove the green tomalley if desired, then pat dry with paper towels. Use a paring knife to remove the dark vein from the tail meat.

Step 3: Move to the Knuckles

Twist the "arms" to remove both claws and the attached "knuckles" (two small jointed sections) from the body. Twist the knuckles to separate them from the claws. Break the knuckles into two pieces at the joint using the back of a chef's knife or a lobster-cracking tool. Use the handle of a teaspoon or a skewer to push the meat out of the shell.

Step 4: Remove Claw Meat

Wiggle the smaller hinged portion of each claw to separate it from the main section. If meat is stuck inside the small part, remove it with a skewer. Break open the claws using the back of a chef's knife or a lobster-cracking tool, cracking one side and then the other. Remove the meat from the claws.

Step 5: Finish with the Legs

Twist the legs to remove them from the body. Work with one leg at a time, laying them flat on the counter. Using a rolling pin, start from the claw end and roll towards the open end, pushing out the meat. Stop rolling before reaching the end of the legs to avoid cracking and releasing shell pieces.

Frequently asked questions