Ingredients

• 2 small garlic cloves
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 (1 1/4-pound) live lobsters
• Garnish: lemon wedges; sea salt
• N/A sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F with a large shallow baking pan in upper third.
2. Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt, then stir together with butter and parsley.
3. Plunge lobsters headfirst into a large pot of boiling salted water (3 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) and cook, covered, 3 minutes from time they enter water. Transfer with tongs to a plate and let stand 5 minutes. (Lobsters will not be fully cooked.)
4. Lightly crack claws, then split lobsters lengthwise and discard innards from body cavity.
5. Remove tail meat from 1 lobster and cut crosswise into 8 pieces. Spread about 2 tablespoons garlic butter in one empty half shell, then fill that shell with all of sliced lobster and dot with 1 tablespoon garlic butter. Spoon about 5 tablespoons garlic butter into other empty half shell (for dipping). Repeat with remaining lobster.