Steamed Whole Lobster (or Whole Crabs)

4 live lobsters (1 1/2 pounds each)
2 lemons, halved, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon sea salt
Drawn Lemon Butter or Lemon-Caper Mayonnaise

Fill a large steamer or soup pot, with about 2 inches of water, add the salt and squeeze in the lemon juice; toss the lemon halves in for extra flavor. Bring to a boil over medium heat. In Maryland, they add crab seasoning, a popular brand being Old Bay Seasoning, to the water when cooking crabs. They will then sprinkle more over the crabs once they are done. Some people like to add lemon slices, garlic, even beer to to the water when cooking crabs.

Place the lobsters in the steamer basket or directly in the pot, cover, and allow to steam until they turn bright red, about 10 minutes for 1-pound lobsters, 12 minutes for 1 1/4 pound lobsters, or 14 minutes for 1 1/2-pound lobsters. Increase another 2 minutes for every 1/4-pound over 1 1/2 pounds.

Serve hot with Drawn Lemon Butter, or serve cold with lemon wedges and Lemon-Caper Mayonnaise as part of a raw shellfish bar (recipes below). To serve cold, remove the lobsters from the pot and cool to room temperature, and then chill thoroughly before cracking open.

Traditional side dishes are potato salad or steamed new potatoes (maybe with parsley butter) and corn on the cob. A nice crusty bread would help absorb all that luscious butter.

Drawn Lemon Butter (if serving hot):
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
juice of 1 lemon

While the lobsters cook, make the lemon butter. Heat the butter in a small pot over low heat. Warm it up gently so the milk solids begin to cook and sink to the bottom of the pot, Keep a close watch because once the milk solids collect and fall, they burn really easily. Strain the clear butter into a small serving cup, leaving the solids behind, and give a squeeze of lemon juice.

Other Sauces:

Lemon-Caper Mayonnaise (use if serving the lobster cold)