How To Tell If Your Lobster Is Undercooked

While most recipes for lobster dishes are fairly easy and simple to follow, there are quite a few things that could potentially go wrong when it comes to actually preparing and cooking lobster. According to HuffPost, the biggest mistake you can make is buying a lobster that is too large. While some people tend to think bigger lobsters will taste better, this is actually not the case. In fact, the opposite can be true.

Stephen Richards, a chef at Mine Oyster in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, told HuffPost that lobsters that weigh more than 2 pounds have much tougher meat, which is "just about impossible to prepare as tender and sweet as, say, a new shell lobster." Another big mistake people tend to make when cooking lobster is not boiling it in salt water. As it turns out, heavily salting the water can help make the lobster both cook and taste better.

When boiling your lobster, it's important to make sure that it's not undercooked. When lobster is fully cooked, the outer shell will be bright red, and the meat will look white, pink, and deep red. If it's undercooked, the shell will contain black and green pigments (via Livestrong). In addition, the meat will appear pinkish and translucent, and it will feel soft to the touch. Eating undercooked lobster will not only taste poor, but it can also potentially lead to food poisoning.

That's why it's critical to boil it at the appropriate temperature and make sure it cooks long enough. According to professional chef and restaurateur Natalia Levey, you should cook lobster at 140 degrees Fahrenheit for 9 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of the shellfish. "Think of boiling lobster like boiling pasta," Levey told Livestrong. "The timer starts when you add the lobster to the pot of boiling water."