Oven-Roasted Lobster with Herbed Bread Crumbs

By norsegal8

Why this recipe works:In search of the best lobster recipe, we tried steaming and roasting and found that both methods work well. The results of this test made us suspect that the secret to tender lobster was not so much in the preparation and cooking as in the selection of the creature itself. After some research into the life cycle of the lobster, we discovered that the variations in the texture of lobster meat depended a great deal on what part of the molting cycle a lobster is in. Lobsters are in their prime when their shells are fully hardened, so no matter which lobster recipe you choose, you will have the greatest success with these.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves or 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon or snipped chives
• 4 lobsters, prepared according to illustrations below (To Prepare a Lobster for Roasting)
• Table salt
• Ground white pepper
• Lemon wedges

Preparation

Step 1

1. Adjust oven rack to middle-high position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in small skillet over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add bread crumbs and cook, stirring constantly, until toasted and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in herbs and set aside.

2. Arrange lobsters crosswise on two 17-by-11-inch foil-lined jelly roll pans, alternating tail and claw ends. Melt remaining butter and brush over body and tail of each lobster; season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle portion of bread crumb mixture evenly over body and tail meat.

3. Roast lobsters until tail meat is opaque and bread crumbs are crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Step-by-Step
To Prepare a Lobster for Roasting


1. With the blade of a chef's knife facing the head, kill the lobster by plunging the knife into the body at the point where the shell forms a "T". Move the blade down until it touches the head.

2. Turn the lobster over, then, holding the upper body with one hand and positioning the knife blade so it faces the tail end, cut through the body toward the tail, making sure not to cut all the way through the shell.

3. Move your hand down to the lower body and continue cutting through the tail.

4. Holding half of the tail in each hand, crack, but do not break, the back shell to butterfly the lobster.

5. Use a spoon to remove and discard the stomach sac.

6. Remove and discard the intestinal tract.

7. Remove and discard the green tomalley if you wish.

8. Run a skewer up one side of the lobster tail to keep it from curling during cooking.