ABOUT LOBSTERS 155 



thereby exposed, and the whole meat in the tail can be 

 pushed forward and out of the shell by pressure of the 

 thumb. Another way is to split the underneath length 

 of the tail section with a carving knife and break the 

 shell apart. Use a stiff knife. 



3. Slice this tail meat down its length. You are 

 looking for the lower intestine, to pick out and remove 

 it. It is the only part of the innards of a lobster that is 

 not edible. In a freshly caught lobster, this intestine 

 looks like a couple of inches of black string. The black 

 material is dung, and if the color is present it shows that 

 the lobster has not emptied the bowel, as it will do if 

 kept a few days in a tank. It is one of the best tests of 

 the freshness of your lobster. An emptied bowel does not 

 mean your lobster is not good, healthy and vigorous 

 when cooked, but only that he is not so fresh out of the 

 sea. 



4. Break off both arms where they attach to the 



body 



Remove the plugs or bands 



Break the claws away from the arms 



Break the two parts of the claws apart 



5. Break the shell of claws and arms with a ham- 

 mer or nut cracker. Break only enough to enable the 

 diner to pick out the meat. Do not excessively crush 

 the inner meat. ( Lobster shears are buyable and make 

 all these cuttings or crushing operations much easier. ) 



6. Cut down the length of the solid-shelled part of 

 the lobster. Cut on a line between where the walking 

 legs join the body. With one fist on each side of the 

 body break the shell apart. You have exposed the upper 

 cavity of the body. The greenish material is tomalley 

 or liver, and is choice, in taste if not in appearance. It 

 is often used for hors d'oeuvres. The salmon colored 

 material is known as " coral " and is unlaid eggs, also 

 edible but of less taste. Break off the walking legs and 

 suck out the meat. 



