Fish

Lobster

Lobster is a large marine crustacean—chiefly clawed Homarus americanus (American) and H. gammarus (European), plus spiny rock lobsters (Palinuridae) without large claws—prized for sweet, firm white meat in the tail and, in clawed species, the claws and knuckles. Live storage and careful cooking keep the flesh springy rather than cottony; overcooking turns it tough and dry. Tomalley (hepatopancreas) and coral (roe) are traditional flavouring pastes in sauces and butters where permitted by local guidance. Boiling or steaming whole, splitting and grilling, butter-poaching tails, and cold lobster salad or rolls are the core methods. Clawed lobsters dominate New England and northern European luxury cookery; spiny lobsters star in Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Australasian grilled plates. Weight class, shedder versus hard-shell condition, and cold-chain integrity decide yield and price more than brand.