Lobster Shears

Lobster shears are one of the most important tools a chef will need when attempting to prepare a fantastically cooked lobster dinner. This is largely because the hardest part of cooking lobster or crab meat is removing the shells before you cook, and guess what? Lobster shears are probably the simplest way to accomplish this task.

Read on as I explain how to conquer your fear of carving a shellfish, and learn a little about lobster shears.

When you steam lobster this is not a huge consideration, but if you plan on cooking something more elaborate such as bisque or bake, then you will definitely need to remove the shells.

Lobster shears by themselves are not that complicated of a cooking tool:

• Typically you will have a serrated edge and a shell cracker
• The combination of these two features really gives you what you need to prepare and cook a lobster
• Most brands today are dishwasher safe, and will make a nice addition to your kitchen arsenal

1. Once cooked, use your lobster shear shell cracker to first break apart the claws from the body of the beast. 
2. Twist off the remaining arms and legs and set aside for later use
3. Using your shears, break the claws and pincher apart to remove the meat. Some shears will have a small pick attached that can be used to help remove small particles of meat, which can be tricky with your hands.
4. Using the serrated edge of the shears, start removing the meat from the tail by cutting into the middle of the body between the head.  Cut horizontally from the back near the head all the way down through the tail. The main piece of meat in the tail should slide out with ease if you do this right

(Make sure to remove any stomach or feathergills from the body, as these can add unwanted flavors that will ruin your dish)

When preparing a live lobster for cooking, you will need to make sure you are careful while handling the little sea creature.  Lobsters can be aggressive, and rest assured they will bite you if you’re not careful. (and it hurts!)

One sign to look for when checking the freshness of your live lobster is how the tail is curling.  If the tail readily curls then it’s a good sign that the lobster is alive and healthy.

Also, make sure you look for discoloration in the shell, as that can be a sign of pollution or contamination. Keep in mind too that the hard shell lobsters will be trickier to crack, but the reward is that you will have a lot more tasty meat when you are finished as compared to a soft shell lobster.

Foxrun – probably your best bargain if price is an issue.  The Foxrun lobster shears have an excellent sturdy design, and the spring action shear provides additional balance and power for cutting.

Sanelli – designed in Italy, the Sanelli lobster shears are really a professional class culinary tool. I own a pair myself, and they are indestructible. Definitely a recommended buy if you can afford them.