Lobster is a delicacy with a sweet and delicate flavor. To save money, you can buy tail only instead of buying whole live or frozen lobster. Lobster tail can be cooked in the oven, on the barbecue or steamed, but the simplest cooking method is by boiling. Just make a few cuts in the shell and cook it for a few minutes in boiling water to have its fantastic pulp ready for use. Once cooked, you can serve it as is or cut it up for use in another recipe.
Ingrediants
- Waterfall
- Butter
- salt
- Parsley or basil
- Lobster tails
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Defrosting the Lobster Tails
Step 1. Buy fresh or frozen lobster tails at a fish shop or supermarket
Unless you are lucky enough to live in a place where you can buy them freshly caught at the market, you will need to go to the fish shop or supermarket and look for the best quality product. The fresher the lobster the better, but you can also buy a frozen product.
Avoid products treated with pentasodium triphosphate. This chemical increases the weight of lobster tails making them more expensive
Step 2. Let the lobster tails thaw in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours before cooking
You can leave them inside their packaging. It is important to thaw them completely to obtain uniform cooking and to facilitate the detachment of the pulp from the carapace.
If you don't have time to wait for them to thaw in the refrigerator, at least leave them soaked in cold water for a minimum of 30 minutes
Step 3. Rinse the tails with cold water
Hold them under running cold running water and rinse each part thoroughly. You can hold them up with a pair of kitchen tongs if you don't want to pick them up. After rinsing them thoroughly, dry them with kitchen paper or let them air dry before cutting them.
Washing them with cold water serves to eliminate any foreign substance that could contaminate the pulp. Lobsters live at the bottom of the sea, so they can come into contact with different types of substances and debris
Step 4. Score the tails in the middle using a knife or a pair of shellfish scissors
You must make a cut along the entire carapace to the tip of the fin, trying not to cut the pulp to prevent it from falling apart during cooking. Hold the scissors with your dominant hand and pull the carapace upwards with the other to avoid cutting the pulp as well.
It is preferable to use scissors rather than a knife, as to cut the carapace without damaging the pulp you should point the blade upwards, risking injury
Step 5. Space the two edges of the carapace apart
The incision will allow you to slightly separate the two edges of the carapace simply by pulling them outwards with your hands. Leave the pulp inside the shell during cooking and serving.
Part 2 of 3: Cooking the Lobster Tails
Step 1. Put a large pot full of water on the stove
Fill it no more than 2/3 to prevent it from boiling over. The size of the pot depends on the number of lobster tails. As a general rule, calculate 350ml of water for a lobster tail weighing around 200-250g.
- You can boil more than one tail at a time if the size of the pot allows.
- If you want, you can add 1 or 2 tablespoons (15-30 g) of salt to the cooking water to delay boiling. The water will boil at a higher temperature and with less vigor.
Step 2. Bring the water to a brisk boil
Heat it over high heat to speed up the time. The moment you put the lobster tails in the pot, the water should boil briskly, after which you will need to lower the heat.
Step 3. Dip the lobster tails into the boiling water
Use kitchen tongs to slowly dip them into the water and make sure they are all completely submerged. Check that they are well distributed inside the pot and that there is enough space.
Be careful not to splash the boiling water so as not to burn yourself and not scald those around you. Put only one tail in the pot at a time to reduce the risk of water overflowing
Step 4. Turn on the stove and adjust the flame to medium-high
The water should not boil excessively to prevent the pulp from detaching from the carapace before it is fully cooked.
Step 5. Calculate one minute of cooking for every 30 g of weight of the tails
In most cases, lobster tails take 5 to 12 minutes to cook. Be careful because the water may escape in the meantime, depending on the degree of heat and the size of the pot relative to the contents, so be prepared to lower the heat if necessary.
Step 6. Assess if the lobster tails are cooked
Skewer the pulp with a fork to make sure it's tender. The pulp must be white, while the carapace must become a beautiful bright red color and must appear almost completely separated from the pulp.
If you test the pulp and it doesn't seem completely cooked, don't remove the tails from the pot
Step 7. Drain the lobster tails using a colander
Pull them out of the water with kitchen tongs or a skimmer. Move them very gently to prevent the pulp from breaking or detaching from the carapace.
Let the tails drain in a colander
Part 3 of 3: Serve the Lobster Tails
Step 1. Cut the tails in half if you wish
Unless you prefer to serve them whole, cut them in half to reach the pulp using just a fork.
Step 2. Butter the lobster tails
The classic choice to enhance the flavor of the lobster is to season it with melted butter. You can serve it on the table or spread a thin layer on the pulp using a fork or a kitchen brush.
If you want, you can use the clarified butter that is obtained by filtering the melted butter to remove excess fat. It is a seasoning that is often used on lobsters
Step 3. Squeeze the lemon over the lobster tails
The acidity of the lemon juice goes well with the sweet taste of the lobster pulp. You can squeeze a wedge on each serving or cut the lemon and make it available to guests.
Step 4. Complete the dish with the herbs
Parsley and basil are among the classic options to accompany lobster. Chop the herbs and use them to flavor and decorate the dish. The combination of butter, lemon juice and fresh herbs is delicious and proven.
Step 5. Cut the pulp into pieces to use in one of your recipes
Since the lobster was cooked very simply, you can use it in almost any preparation. Since it won't keep for long once cooked, it's best to use it right away.
