You're Eating Whole Lobster All Wrong – Here's How To Do It

Sitting down to a meal of an entire lobster is the sort of luxurious experience that doesn't come around save every once in a while. As a result, we're all prone to getting a little rusty on our lobster-picking skills between such feasts. But we also all really want to make sure that we make the most of the meal, avoiding the common mistakes made when preparing lobster and utilizing the best techniques for removing the lobster meat from its shell. For a little advice on how to properly enjoy a whole lobster, we spoke with a real expert in the field, Nana Darkwah, executive chef at Ocean Hai, the acclaimed four-diamond restaurant at Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach Resort in Clearwater, Florida.

The very first piece of advice that Darkwah gives us may already turn lobster-eating on its head for some folks. "When eating [a] whole lobster, I find it best to start with the tail, which is easier to work with," he tells us. "Then [move] on to the claws, which can be harder." Lobster claws are perhaps the most prized part of the shellfish, known for their sweet and tender meat, but they are certainly a bit trickier to get into. Really, this advice makes perfect sense. The meat of the tail is easy to access but tends to be a touch tougher. Whether it's following the "save the best for last" mentality or just quickly getting to some big chunks of lobster to dip in drawn butter, tail-first is the way to go.

But there is more to eating the whole lobster than just the order in which you take it apart. There's also the cracking technique to consider, as well as being sure that you really get every last bit out of that prized shellfish. As far as actually getting at that precious claw meat, Darkwah has one important piece of advice that all lobster eaters ought to pay attention to: be gentle. "A common mistake is using too much force when cracking into the claw or tail parts of the lobster," he explains, "which can destroy the lobster meat."

Again, we're getting into the territory of technical expertise, where it's easy to forget between lobster meals just how hard you need to squeeze those crackers to get those tough shells, but it pays to err on the side of gentleness. You can always have another crack at it if you don't get through on the first try, but there's no coming back from a crushed claw full of mangled meat. As for getting every bit out of a whole lobster, there are a few important pieces not to miss.

Darkwah doesn't want us to forget that "the head of the lobster has some meat as well, which is great to use in soups." Beyond that, the green stuff in a lobster, known as tomalley, is another flavorful ingredient that is sometimes skipped. Even the shells can be useful, crushed or ground, when whipping up a rich lobster bisque recipe. Clearly, when trying to make the most of a whole lobster, a chef's advice is a valuable thing to have.