- Bring 6 litres (24 cups) of water to a boil in a large saucepan.
- Add 75 mL (1/3 cup) salt. Plunge lobsters into boiling water one by one, headfi rst and tail folded under.
- When the water returns to a boil, cook for 10 minutes.
- Cool rapidly in cold water; drain and reserve.
- Melt butter over low heat in a small saucepan. Using a spoon, gently skim all white foam from the surface of the butter. Do not stir.
Vanilla and balsamic butter
Scrape the vanilla pod halves with a knife to remove seeds. In a bowl, combine one third of melted butter, vanilla seeds, vinegar and pink pepper.
Roasted pepper butter
Pour one third of melted butter into a blender and add red pepper, garlic, lemon juice and oregano. Blend until smooth and then pour into a small bowl.
Fresh herb butter
Pour remaining third melted butter into blender and add thyme, basil and chives. Blend until smooth and then pour into a small bowl.
To serve, cut cooked lobster in half lengthwise and break claws. Open and remove the stomach sac, intestine, liver (green) and roe (red).
Remove the meat from the shell and dip into the seasoned butters.
Tip: To save time, you can make the seasoned butters ahead of time. Using room-temperature (unmelted) butter, mix one third with the ingredients of your choice (balsamic, pepper or fresh herbs). Place on a sheet of plastic wrap. Fold wrap over the butter and roll to make a log 3 cm (1 1/4 inches) in diameter. Refrigerate for about 1 hour. The flavoured butters are ready to serve on meat, fish or poultry!