Boiled Lobster with Pepper Butter

1. Stage

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the lobsters, covered, until just done, about 10 minutes after the water returns to a boil.

2. Stage

Meanwhile, in a medium stainless-steel saucepan, melt the butter. Remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper. Divide the butter among four small bowls. Serve the lobsters with the pepper butter for dipping.

3. Stage

How to Eat a Lobster: Twist off the "arms" of the lobster and break off the claws. Bend the "thumb" of each claw down until it cracks. Using a lobster cracker, break the claw shells and gently extract the meat with a small fork. Crack the "arms" and extract the meat with the fork. Using your hands, break the lobster in half at the point where the body meets the tail. The tomalley, the soft green part in the body, is good to eat, and you can easily spoon it out. You can also eat the bright red roe, if any, at the body-end of the tail. Using your hands, squeeze the sides of the tail together so that the underside cracks. With the underside facing you, and one hand on each side of the shell, press open the tail exposing the meat; extract it with the fork. There is a little meat in the legs. If you like, twist them off, break them in half, and suck out the meat.

4. Stage

Wine Recommendation: An expansive chardonnay with or without oak flavor is ideal with lobster. Try a bottle from California or Australia. Or, if you really want to celebrate, select a Meursault premier cru (made from chardonnay) from the Burgundy region of France.