Dismantle the lobster by laying it on its back, insert the point of a sharp heavy knife, into the center, angling towards the lobster’s head. Placing both palms on the knife handle, press down to cut through to the bottom of the lobster shell. Make sure you cut right through the hard, back shell at the bottom.
The Chinese chopper will be easier to use than the Western kitchen knife. Turn the lobster around and cut from the middle of the lobster’s chest to the end of the tail. Again, you may need to use both hands to put enough pressure on the knife to get right through the shell.
After the lobster is cut in half, you need to find its stomach and remove it. Its stomach is near its head and is about the size of your thumb. The position of the stomach is roughly symmetrical, so there will be two halves. Carefully pry the stomach with a fork and gently remove it with your fingers.
The stomach is attached to the intestines and may have some black matter left in them, so you will need to remove and discard those as well. If the lobster has not eaten for a while, there may be nothing in the intestines, and you may not find them.
If it is female lobster, there may be orange colored eggs towards the middle of the lobster’s chest. You can remove these with a teaspoon and place them in a small bowl to be used in the lobster sauce.
You will also need to remove the lobster’s first pair of feet at the front, followed by some thin film, which is its cheek. Pries these out gently with a fork, then pull them out with your fingers.