Lobster tails

By michellecresta

Recipe Notes
Broiling Times for Lobster Tails:
Smaller (3 to 4 oz) lobster tail 6 to 8 min
Medium (5 to 6 oz) lobster tail 10-11 min
Larger (7 to 9 oz) lobsters tail 12-15 min (with rack in middle of oven)
Broil lobster meat until opaque and white in center, or 145˚F.

Ingredients

• Ingredients for Broiled Lobster Tails:
• 3 med. lobster tails
• 2 tsp. parsley
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste, optional
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• Juice of 1 med. lemon
• 1 c. water
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• 4 lobster tails (about 4 to 6 oz each)
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped, plus more to garnish
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided

Details

Adapted from natashaskitchen.com

Preparation

Step 1

Split lobster tails in half lengthwise. Remove swimmerettes and sharp edges. Sprinkle each with parsley and salt and pepper (if desired). Pour olive oil and lemon juice on each tail.

Pour water on bottom of a shallow 7 × 11 inch baking pan (Michelle uses broiler pan). Place lobster tails in pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 (or 375) degrees for 25 minutes or until tender (internal temp of lobster is 140-145 degrees F).

Defrost lobster tails overnight in the refrigerator. When defrosted, cut the upper shell down the center of the back with scissors, leaving tail fan intact. Do not remove under shell. I run my little finger between the meat and the shell to loosen from each other. Lift uncooked tail through the slit to rest on the top of the shell (this is called a piggyback lobster tail.)
NOTE: At this stage, the lobster tails maybe refrigerated until ready to bake. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying out.
Misc. Notes:
Lobster – 140°F

Cooking lobster is straightforward. But like most all seafood, due to its tightly-bound muscle structure and lack of the lubricating fat that makes cooking meat a more forgiving process, lobster cookery can go wrong easily. You want to cook lobster just through. Cooking it too much makes for a rubbery, dry and unfortunate situation, and too little will result in an odd texture and undeveloped flavors.

When grilling, many sources* recommend cooking lobster to a minimum internal temperature of 140°F and serving immediately. However, when boiling or steaming, Cook’s Illustrated suggests taking the internal temperature to 175°F, because the muscle fibers in lobster are longer and require more heat to shrink.

Preparation:
Defrost (thaw) lobster tails overnight in the refrigerator. The lobster tails may be cooked frozen, but for the best results, defrosted them before cooking. Check out my article How To Buy Frozen Lobster Tails. To defrost lobster tails, place them in the refrigerator for a period of approximately 8 to 10 hours or alternatively place them in a bowl of cold water.
When the lobster tails are defrosted, insert point of kitchen shears between the meat and the hard shell.
Cut the shell down the center of the back with scissors, leaving tail fan intact. NOTE: Do not remove the under shell. I run my little finger between the meat and the shell to loosen from each other. Lift uncooked tail through the slit to rest on the top of the shell (this is called a piggyback lobster tail.) At this stage, the lobster tails may be refrigerated until ready to bake. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying out. How to keep the tail straight: Lobster tails have the tendency to cur up when they are cooked. To avoid this, just place a bamboo skewer through the back of the tail and out the front. When the skewer is remove, the tail will stay straight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place prepared lobster tails on a baking sheet, brush each lobster tail with melted butter, and bake approximately 15 minutes or until an instant-read meat thermometer register and internal temperature of 140 to 145 degrees F. (do not overcook, as the lobster will become tough and rubbery). While cooking, lobster shells will turn their characteristic bright red color well before the meat is thoroughly cooked inside.
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How to Butterfly Lobster Tails:
Place lobster tails shell-side up with the tail end away from you. Cut through the top of the shell Snipping through the shell and top portion of the meat as you go. Stop at the base of the tail.
Flip the tail over to the see-through side and crack the ribs using both thumbs down the center. This helps open the shell. Remove and discard the vein if you see one.
Carefully run your thumbs down the sides of the meat to loosen it from the shell (CAREFUL! Those shells can be sharp!). Lift the meat from the shell, keeping it attached at the base then press the shell together underneath and set the lobster meat back over the top, opening up the meat to butterfly the tails. Butterfly remaining tails and transfer to a casserole dish.
How to Make Broiled Lobster Tails:
Preheat oven to Broil on high heat with rack in the center of the oven. Place the rack so the top meaty portion of the lobster tails is about 6" away from the top heating element.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the marinade ingredients: 1 Tbsp parsley, 2 pressed garlic cloves, 1 tsp dijon mustard, 1/4 tsp salt, pinch black pepper, 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice and 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil. Stir to combine then spoon it all over the lobster tails. Dot the top of lobster tails with 2 Tbsp of butter.
Arrange lobsters in a rimmed oven-safe casserole and place under the preheated oven broiler to broil 10-11 minutes or according to the lobster tail size chart below. The finished lobster should be white and opaque in the center and register at least 145˚F on an instant read thermometer.
How to Make Lobster Dipping Sauce:
As soon as lobster tails come out of the oven, transfer to a serving platter. Pour drippings from the pan into a small saucepan over medium heat. Melt in 2 Tbsp butter and remove from heat just as soon as the mixture starts simmering. Spoon the lobster butter sauce over the tails and serve. You can also serve the sauce in ramekins on the side for dipping.