How to eat slipper lobsters (udang ketak)?

What are slipper lobsters? These lobster-lookalike crustaceans are also known called udang ketak. They are best eaten steamed without additional seasonings as we want to savor the natural sweetness of their meat. When I steam them, I just put fresh ginger slices, smashed garlic cloves, and some chili flakes. No salt, no soy sauce or any other seasoning needed.

Make sure the water is boiling vigorously in the steamer (I use a stove-top steamer, not electric steamer) before you start steaming 'em lobsters. Steam for about 12-13 minutes, then off the heat, and let it stay covered for another 5 minutes before removing them from the steamer.

Let's see how do we eat slipper lobsters.

Hailing all the way from Kuala Terengganu, these gorgeous slipper lobsters are originally frozen. We thawed them overnight in the fridge before washing them under running water until all frozen bits are gone. It's recommended to scrub them one by one with a brush to get rid of dirt and sand.

Then, you can either steam or boil them, up to you. Most importantly, don't add extra seasonings because they will mask the natural sweetness of the lobsters' meat.

To start, get ready a pair of sharp kitchen scissors. Look for the section on the lobster that joins its head and its body. You will see a little hinge, one on the right, and one on the left. Snip off the hinges with the scissors.

Once the hinges are snipped, you can now separate the head from the body.

Look for the "dirt bag" at the opening part of the head and remove it because it's not to be eaten.

Now, use the scissors to cut open the shell (body) lengthwise. Remove the lobster's "vein", i.e. the intestinal tract (just like how you remove the intestine from smaller prawns).

Tada! Ready to use to your fingers to pick the flesh from the shell and eat! My toddler loves this!

The instructions above are credited to my mom-in-law who showed me every step in detail.