There are few things better than a good Maine lobster. With this technique, I preserve the taste of the sea by cooking the meat in its own juices. The secret? Cut the lobsters in half and balance the shells so that they capture all of the cooking juices. If you have a wood-burning oven, now is the time to use it.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　4 live lobsters (each 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds)

　　4 sprigs fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

　　1/4 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes, or to taste

　　Maldon salt or other flaky sea salt

　　2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

　　3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

　　Lemon wedges, for serving

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450°F or heat your grill to high.

　　

Step 2

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Plunge the lobsters into the boiling water until submerged. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from the pot. Keep the water boiling. Remove the claws from the lobsters, using oven mitts or a kitchen towel if too hot to handle. Plunge the lobster bodies into the ice bath. Return the large claws to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Add the small claws and cook them all together for 2 minutes. Transfer all the claws to the ice bath and remove when cold.

　　

Step 3

Cut the lobster bodies in half down the center with kitchen shears. Remove the egg sacs, if present. Crack the lobster claws and remove one side of the shells, so that the meat is exposed on one side and cradled in the shell on the other. If roasting in the oven, arrange the lobsters and claws, shell side down, in a large roasting pan. Make sure the lobsters are lying flat so that the shells keep in the seasonings and juices, which will baste the meat while it’s cooking.

　　

Step 4

If using fresh oregano, microwave it in 30-second intervals until dry and brittle, about 1 1/2 minutes total. Strip the leaves from the stems and crumble the oregano—fresh or dried—over the lobsters. Sprinkle the chile flakes all over, season with salt, and then drizzle with the lemon juice and oil.

　　

Step 5

Roast the lobsters in the oven or balance on the grill grate and grill until aromatic and the meat becomes opaque, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

　　

c’est bon

Step 6

When I started cooking at home, I began using the microwave a lot more. I discovered that it’s great for making your own dried herbs. Just microwave in short intervals until brittle and fragrant. They’re fresher and more flavorful than the bottled stuff at the store.

　　Reprinted with permission from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2011 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most influential chefs in the world, having single-handedly redefined haute French cuisine, lightening and refining it by adding select Asian accents. He is the chef-owner of dozens of restaurants in fourteen cities around the world. His flagship restaurant, Jean Georges, at New York's Columbus Circle, is one of six restaurants in the United States to have been awarded three coveted Michelin stars; it received four stars from the New York Times. The winner of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, he lives in New York City and Waccabuc, New York, with his family.Genevieve Ko is a cookbook author and the senior food editor at Good Housekeeping magazine. She has written for Martha Stewart Living, Gourmet, and Fine Cooking and lives in New York City with her family.