Lobster

A 1.25-1.5 lb lobster is the sweet spot for home cooking. Plan on that same amount per person (only 20-25% of the lobster's weight is edible meat), or one 6-8 oz tail per person. This is big enough to be satisfying, small enough to cook evenly. Buy them live and lively: pick them up and look for active claw and tail movement. Sluggish lobsters have been in the tank too long and the meat quality drops. Hard-shell lobsters have more meat; soft-shell (new shell after molting) are sweeter but have a waterier carcass. Store live lobsters in the fridge wrapped in damp newspaper, never in a sealed bag or submerged in water or they'll suffocate. Cook them the same day you buy them. If you're working with frozen tails instead, thaw overnight in the fridge and butterfly them before roasting or broiling.

Lobster is one of those ingredients that feels like a challenge because it's a special-occasion splurge, but it's one of the simplest proteins to cook at home. Boil or steam a 1.25 lb lobster for 10-12 minutes and you're done. The shell will turn bright red and tells you when it's ready; the only real mistake you can make is leaving it in too long. Overcooked lobster turns rubbery and tough in about 2 minutes flat, so pull it the second the shell is fully red and the tail meat hits 140°F. There's an intimidation factor with the live aspect of lobster, I get that. The humane approach is to put it in the freezer for 15 minutes before cooking.

Lobster is done at 140°F in the thickest part of the tail. The shell turns bright red, and the meat turns opaque white. Undercooked lobster will look translucent with a gelatinous texture. Overcooked lobster is rubbery and tough, and it goes from perfect to overdone in about 2 minutes. For whole lobsters, the tail is the last part to cook through. Pull at 135°F and rest, carryover will bring it up to temp.