Using tongs, remove lobster from the pot and cool down briefly under cold running water. Let lobsters rest until cool enough to handle. They will release water from their joints and cavities as you clean them, so work in the sink or on a work surface that's easily moppable.

You can serve the lobsters hot from the pot with bibs, claw crackers and plenty of melted butter, and let your guests attack their own. Or you can let them cool, then clean and deshell them into a pile of succulent meat perfect for serving in a luxurious salad, as pictured here, or in a lobster sandwich (recipe below) dressed with homemade tarragon mayonnaise between lightly toasted slices of buttery brioche.

Freshly cooked and cleaned lobster. Photo: Wendy Goodfriend

To take apart your cooked lobster, twist off the tail where it meets the body. Using kitchen shears, snip through the center of the tail shell and remove the meat inside, preferably in one piece. Set shells aside for stock, if desired. Twist off claws. Using claw cracker, crack claws along the joints and remove meat inside. There's not much meat inside the slender legs on either side of the body; you can crack the legs and try wiggling out what's in there with a pointed shellfish fork or pick, or just add them to your pot or shellfish stock. Chop the tail and claw meat into bite-sized pieces and refrigerate until needed.

Recipe: Luxurious Lobster Sandwiches

This is a glamorous, mess-free (for your guest, at least) way to serve lobster, a perfect surprise for a late, post-show supper or indulgent brunch for two. If you're going so far as to boil your own lobster, you might as well make your own mayonnaise, too, to get that beautifully supple texture that can't be found in a jar. These are inspired, in equal parts, by the lobster rolls of my New England-spent summers, and the fancy lobster club sandwiches served under the stained-glass dome of the Rotunda restaurant at Neiman Marcus in Union Square.

La Farine Boulangerie in the East Bay is a good source for brioche rolls; if you can't find brioche, try challah bread. Or, you can go all the way and make Thomas Keller's version, the recipe for which can be found in Bouchon, Bouchon Bakery, and Ad Hoc at Home.

Ingredients:

Two live lobsters, each about 1 1/4 lbs
1 teaspoon fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
1 small head butter (Boston) lettuce, rinsed and dried
1 ripe avocado
4 slices brioche or 2 brioche buns

Tarragon Lemon Mayonnaise:

1 egg yolk
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice, from a Meyer lemon if possible
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopped
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation:
1. Cook the lobster: In a large stockpot, bring 2 inches of well-salted water to a boil. When water is boiling, add lobsters, head down. Cover and simmer for approximately 12 minutes, until shells are bright red and meat is white and opaque. Remove lobsters from pot. Cool briefly under cold running water. Let lobsters rest until cool enough to handle.

2. Shell the lobster: Twist off tail and snip through shell with kitchen shears. Remove tail meat in one piece. Twist off claws and crack with claw cracker along joints. Remove claw meat. Chop tail and claw meat into bite-sized pieces and refrigerate until needed.

3. Make mayonnaise: Pour oils together into a small pitcher. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolk, lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp salt together. Pouring very slowly, begin to drizzle in oil while whisking vigorously. Continue to whisk and drizzle until mixture expands and thickens. Increase your oil pour to a small but steady stream and continue whisking until all the oil is added. Whisk in tarragon leaves and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more lemon juice or salt as needed. Refrigerate until needed.

4. Make the lobster salad: Fold half the mayonnaise into the lobster pieces. Add enough remaining mayonnaise so that lobster chunks are lightly coated. Sprinkle with an additional teaspoon or so of minced fresh tarragon. Taste for seasoning.

lobster saladlobster salad

Cooking Whole Live Lobster: A Photo Tutorial