Crayfish or Lobster are always a favourite, and are easier to cook and prepare than you might think! This recipe will show you how to cook crayfish and lobster simply in salted water or a flavoured court bouillon - if you feel like something a little different, you can try my recipes for lobster/crayfish mornay or the classic lobster and garlic butter.
Both crayfish and lobster can be expensive, however there are parts of the season where there is greater availability which means you can sometimes get them significantly cheaper. If you're handy with a snorkel you can also catch them in rocky areas - just make sure you check whether you need to have a licence.
I use Southern Rock Lobster in these recipes, as I live in Tasmania. Australians also call this 'crayfish'; the same method can be used for crayfish, crawfish, etc.
What you need to cook crayfish/lobster
Check out the recipe card further down the post for comprehensive ingredients and quantities.
Ingredients for Boiling Crayfish or Lobster
- Water - you can use clean salt water - just make sure not to source it from a polluted area and don't get any sand! - or add salt at 35g/1.2oz per litre/qt.
Court Bouillon Ingredients for Lobster or Crayfish
- Water and salt as above.
- Vegetables - carrots, celery and onions.
- Aromatics - black pepper, parsley, bay leaves and garlic cloves.
- White vinegar or white wine adds a great flavour to the crayfish/lobster.
Ice bath
You need to use an ice bath after cooking the crayfish/lobster. This is just water and ice.
Essential equipment you need to cook crayfish/lobster
You will need a large stock pot, around 8L (~2 gal.) to cook the crayfish or lobster. A large dutch oven could also work.
How to cook crayfish and rock lobster
Check out the recipe card further down the post for step-by-step instructions on how to cook lobster and crayfish at home.
- Just cooking in water? In a large stock pot, add the salt to the water if you're not using seawater. Bring to the boil.
- Making the court bouillon? Add all ingredients for the court bouillon to a large stock pot and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Remove lid and bring to the boil.
- Cook crayfish/lobster - carefully add the crayfish or lobster to the boiling water. Return to the boil and cook according to the suggested times later in this post.
- Ice bath - remove the lobster/crayfish from the liquid when cooked and place in a container (or use your stock pot) with ice and water. Leave in the ice bath for at least 5 minutes or until the lobster is no longer warm to the touch.
- Drain - drain the lobster by placing it vertically upside down. The easiest way to do this is to have the tail wrap around something to hold it up so that it can drain out.
- Halve the crayfish (instructions) and remove the intestines, and serve.
Tips
- If you are near the sea, use salt water. The salinity is perfect - just make sure you don’t get any sand, and that it comes from an unpolluted source.
- Use the cooking chart to avoid overcooking your crayfish or lobster.
- If you're going to grill the crayfish/lobster, you can slightly undercook it (reduce cooking time by 1 minute) to prevent it from becoming overcooked.
- Use an ice bath to stop the crayfish/lobster cooking once you remove it from the boiling water to prevent it from overcooking.
- Drain all water out of the crayfish/lobster - use the tail which curls around to hold it upside down to drain for 10 minutes. This will prevent the meat from being watery.
What to serve with crayfish/lobster.
Crayfish and lobster are often served with a seafood or tartare sauce.
You can boil some potatoes and corn on the cob in the same water as the crayfish/lobster, and serve with some crusty bread and a simple garden salad.
Handling live crayfish/lobster
If you purchase a live crayfish/lobster, it's important to humanely dispatch it.
I'm not an expert in this field, so I'm repeating what my fishmonger told me. If you don't want to do this, ask your fishmonger to do it for you or purchase a cooked fish.
For whole lobster/crayfish The most humane way is to put a live lobster in the freezer for 30 minutes and then put it straight into boiling water. The idea is that chilling numbs the nervous system, reducing the chance of the crayfish or lobster feeling pain.
If you're camping or otherwise don't have access to a freezer, you can drown it. Crayfish and lobster are saltwater fish, meaning they cannot survive in fresh water. Place the live cray into a pot of fresh water - it will drown in around half an hour if you're doing a single fish in around 5L of water. The time is dependent on the volume of water, so use it as a guide. You can tell when the crayfish/lobster is drowned because it will stop moving and not react to you touching it.
Thoroughly wash the crayfish/lobster after drowning before cooking.
If you're grilling or need raw lobster/cray Use a sharp knife to quickly pierce the head between the eyes, then slice forward through the brain. This kills it almost instantly.
Cooking from frozen
Thaw the crayfish/lobster in your fridge overnight. Make sure the crayfish is thawed before cooking.
Which part of the crayfish/lobster do you eat?
Most of the meat is in the tail. If there are claws, they are also a great source of meat.
The tail is easily removed from a cooked crayfish/lobster by twisting and pulling away. Alternatively, you can use a sharp knife to halve the crayfish/lobster - it's easier to do this by placing the lobster upside down and slicing through the bottom of the lobster.
To get the meat in the legs and claws, crack the shell using a claw cracker, meat tenderiser, or the back of a heavy knife.
Avoid anything that's not white meat - this includes the yellow/green intestines (tomalley), shell, and the black vein running through the tail.
How to tell when the crayfish/lobster is cooked
Overcooked crayfish/lobster is tough and stringy, and undercooked is mushy, so it's important to make sure you cook your crayfish/lobster properly.
Here are signs it's cooked:
- Internal temperature in the tail is at least 64C (145F).
- The shell has turned bright red.
- The tail should curl.
- When you straighten the tail, it slightly pulls away from the body.
Cooking times
Bring the water or court bouillon to the boil and add the crayfish/lobster. Start timing once the water has returned to the boil.
| Weight | Boiling time |
|---|---|
| 500g (1.1 lbs) | 8-10 minutes |
| 700g (1.5 lbs) | 10-12 minutes |
| 900g (2 lbs) | 12-14 minutes |
| 1.1kg (2.4 lbs) | 14-16 minutes |
Court bouillon?
Court bouillon is a broth made by simmering water with aromatic vegetables, herbs, and acid (like vinegar or wine). It’s commonly used for poaching fish, shellfish, or vegetables, imparting delicate flavours without overpowering the main ingredients - and it's perfect for crayfish and lobster, as the acid in the broth helps firm up proteins.
How to halve a crayfish/lobster
It's easier and safer to halve a crayfish/lobster with the underside facing upwards. The shell is not as thick, which makes it easier to do.
Place the crayfish or lobster belly-side up on a chopping board. Insert the knife at the base of the head (1), and cut downward through the body and tail (2).
Split the crayfish or lobster in half (3) and then remove the intestines (the green "guts" or tomalley) and intestinal tract, which is the line you see through the tail (4).
Make ahead, reheating and freezing crayfish/lobster
Fresh crayfish/lobster spoils quickly. I suggest eating no longer than one day after cooking. Cook the crayfish the same day you buy them if they’re uncooked.
Freshly cooked lobster can be frozen. The texture will suffer slightly but it's a good way to preserve a large catch.
How to cook lobster/crayfish
| Prep | Cook | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 5 mins | 15 mins | 20 mins |
- 1 dead, uncooked crayfish/lobster around 700g will serve two people
- 5L (5 qt.) fresh water or 5L/5 qt. sea water, see note 1
- 175g (6oz) salt 35g/1.2oz per 1L - only if using fresh water - see note 2
- Ice
- Water
- 5L (5 qt.) fresh water
- 175g (6oz) salt 35g/1.2oz per 1L
- 1 tbsp whole black pepper
- 2 carrots, cut into large chunks
- 2 celery sticks, cut into large chunks
- 2 onions, cut into large chunks
- 20g parsley, whole
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup (125ml) white vinegar or 1 cup (250ml) white wine
- 4 garlic cloves
- Cocktail or tartare sauce
- Lemon wedges
- Crusty bread
- Garden salad
- Boiled corn on the cob
- Boiled potatoes
If making the court bouillon
Add all ingredients to a large stock pot. Bring to the boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Place a lid on and continue to simmer for 30 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.
If cooking in water
Bring the water to the boil and add the salt (if using fresh water).
Cook the crayfish/lobster
- Water must be boiling - ensure the water or court bouillon is boiling before adding the crayfish or lobster.
- Carefully add the crayfish/lobster to the water, taking care not to splash boiling water on yourself.
- Cook - when the water/bouillon returns to the boil, cook according to the table below.
- Ice bath - place the lobster/crayfish into an ice bath to stop cooking for at least 5 minutes.
- Drain - hang the crayfish/lobster upside down to let all liquid drain out of it for 10 minutes. Depending on the size of your crayfish/lobster, you might be able to hang it over the pot.
- Serve - halve the crayfish/lobster by placing it belly-side up on a chopping board. Insert the knife at the base of the head, and cut downward through the body and tail. Use a claw cracker, back of a knife or meat tenderiser to break the shell of the legs and claws, if present.
Cooking times
| Weight | Boiling time |
|---|---|
| 500g (1.1 lbs) | 8-10 minutes |
| 700g (1.5 lbs) | 10-12 minutes |
| 900g (2 lbs) | 12-14 minutes |
| 1.1kg (2.4 lbs) | 14-16 minutes |
- Seawater - use only if you can source from an area free of pollution and contaminants. Make sure you don't scoop sand up with it!
- Salt - only add if you're using fresh water. 35g/L mimics the salinity of the sea.
- Dispatching live crayfish/lobster - please be humane in your handling of live lobster and crayfish. See handling live crayfish/lobster.
- Court bouillon - is made by simmering water with aromatic vegetables, herbs, and acid (like vinegar or wine). It's perfect for crayfish and lobster, as the acid in the broth helps firm up proteins. If you don't want to make the court bouillon, it's still great just cooked in the salt water brine.
