Stuffed Lobsters Recipe

Serves4
Cooking MethodBaking, Sauteeing
Total Timeunder 1 hour

Ingredients
¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup medium-dry sherry
1 pound fresh crabmeat, picked over to remove any shell or cartilage
1 cup crushed ritz crackers
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 live 1½ pound lobsters
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions
In a large sauté pan, melt the butter. Add the shallots and cook over medium heat, stirring, until beginning to soften. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the sherry and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the crabmeat, cracker crumbs, and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (You may not need salt because the cracker crumbs can be salty.) Cool the stuffing completely.
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Place the lobsters on a cutting board and use a large knife to split them in half. Remove the sand sac from the head and the black intestinal vein. Take off the claw bands and, if the lobsters are hard-shells, crack the claws in a couple of places with a hammer so the heat will penetrate. Place the lobsters, cut sides up, on two rimmed baking sheets and sprinkle the stuffing mixture over the tail and bodies of the lobsters. Drizzle with melted butter.
Bake until the lobster meat is opaque and the crumbs are crisp and golden brown, 15 to 22 minutes.
Notes
Splitting live lobsters takes a little getting used to, but after doing the first one it’s pretty easy. You should not do this more than an hour ahead because the meat can begin to deteriorate once the lobsters are no longer alive.