To boil your fresh lobster, be sure to use a stock pot or kettle deep enough to cover; allow 1 quart of water for each pound of lobster. You can use seasonings, such as bay leaf, parsley stems, onion, pepper, cayenne, Old Bay seasoning and wine and vinegar to flavor the cooking liquid, which should be simmered for five minutes before cooking the lobster. Lobster can get tough so plan on boiling for only 5 minutes per pound. Remove from the water and shock it (submerge quickly in ice water to stop residual cooking) or serve immediately. If serving live lobster, you may want to remove the tomalley and mix it with toasted bread crumbs and seasonings and then replace it in the shell for service.
Before broiling either a fresh or frozen lobster, you may want to marinate it for at least an hour before cooking, as lobsters are relatively fat-free and can easily dry out. Marinate in wine, stock or court bouillon. Be prepared to baste with oil , stock or butter while broiling the lobster and serve as soon as it is removed from the heat.