The words boiled & lobster should not be uttered in the same sentence unless you have zero taste buds....

You STEAM lobster so they cook in their own juices thus retaining the full flavor. Boiling in water removes the incredible sweet succulent flavor...

Quote: "Buy two 1 1/2 pound new shell lobsters at the Co-op. Steam for 5 minutes"

The key words I picked up on in Tom's post are co-op, new shell & steam!!! Lobster connoisseurs do not eat hard shells. Hard shells are for the tourists we Mainers keep the tasty soft shells for our own consumption and sell the hard-shells to the suckers..... (wink)

If you can't buy them direct off the boat, we usually do, then the co-op is the next best place. Don't buy them from a "tank" that is not physically connected to the actual ocean, and more than a few feet away.... The best is buying them straight off the boat or right out of lobster cars/crates physically floating in the ocean next to the dock or off a co-op moored float...

Oh and please remove the rubber bands before steaming... Tacky & icky......... (wink)