The Bestest Lobster Tail Recipe

Congratulations! You Gotta Lobsta On Dude!  Now it's time to eat those succulent lobster tails you just caught and prepped. WARNING! This lobster tail recipe is pure cooking HERESY, but I promise, your lobster tails will come out tender and juicy, like you're Gordon Ramsey.  And just in case I scare you too much, I've given you the 2nd Best Lobster recipe, which is also phenomenal.

What you're Gonna Need to Make the Best Lobster Tails

All the fix 'ins are probably already in your pantry. This recipe is crazy simple and it should take less than 20 minutes from start to finish. 

• Lobster Tails
• Salt and Pepper
• Butter
• Garlic Cloves
• Paprika
• Lemon
• Parsley 
• Newspaper

Captains Tip: Of course, you want to be using fresh lobster tails caught and prepped directly from the sea whenever possible. But sometimes lobster's are out of season or you just have to buy them from the store. If you are buying fresh frozen tails, you want to avoid lobster tails that are soaked in sodium tripolyphosphate, because they often turn out a bit mushy and flavorless.  In the worst case, they might even have an ammonia taste. Yuk. 

Let's Get Cooking 

Firstly, we will prepare our lobster tails. 

1. Optional but recommened step: Blanch the lobster tails in boiling water for about 1 to 2 mins - then immediately place the lobster tails in cold water to stop the cooking process. This allows for very easy separation of the meat from the lobsters' shell.  It's still pretty easy to remove the lobster without blanching
2. Butterfly cut the lobster tails (straight cut using seafood shears) With your sharp kitchen shears - cut down the middle of the back to just above the end of the lobster tail. The shell side will be up and the lobster tail will be pointed away from you
3. Carefully pull apart the cut shell and gently place your fingers underneath the lobster meat and push forward and up to release the lobster meat from the tail
4. Flip the lobster back over, carefully lift up the lobster meat in one piece. The meat should still be attached at the bottom of the tail.
5. Once the lobster meat is lifted above the top of the shell allow the shell to close around the bottom of the meat as the lobster sits on top of the shell

How to Butterfly a Lobster Tail

Garlic Herb Butter

Secondly, let's make our super simple, but crazy delicious Garlic Herb Butter for brazing and dipping your lobster tails.  

1. Heat your butter until melted (1/4 cup)
2. Finely mince your garlic (2 - 3 cloves)
3. Whisk together butter, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of parsley, squeeze in half of a lemon and add some salt and pepper to taste
4. Now generously braze our prepared lobster tails with our delicious Garlic Herb Butter

Nukem

Thirdly, we will now cook our lobster tails.  We have quite a few options here.  We could bake, broil, poach, boil or grill.  Guess what?  We're not going to do any of those.  We're gonna NUKE them!  Yes, you read that correctly.  Pure HERESY.  We are going to put them into the microwave oven.  A little trust here please!

1. Wrap each lobster tail in newspaper (use a thick section - at least 4 pages) - completely enclosing the tail
2. Place the tail into the microwave (1000 watts) for 4 minutes

It might be cooking heresy but wait until you taste these tails.  They will be succulent, juicy and Herb Butter infused. Bon Appetit. 

Broil

If you were either too scared or just looking for a more traditional cooking style, you can't go wrong with broiling your lobster tails. Again, after preparing your lobster tails, and generously brazing them with garlic herb butter, we can put them in the broiler. 

1. Preheat the oven to broil 
2. Set your lobster tails on a baking sheet
3. Generously braze the lobster tails with your garlic herb butter
4. Broil the lobster tails for about 8-10 minutes or until the meat is opaque and lightly brown on the top
5. Serve with your garlic herb butter for dipping on the side

Captains Tips: 

•  If you're not going to nukem - it's really easy to overcook lobster tails - so you'll want to be paying close attention to them as they are being broiled. It's best to broil the lobster tails for about one minute per ounce and having the lobster tail about 4 to 5 inches from the heat on the top rack in the oven. Broiling times will vary depending on the size and length of your lobster tails. For a smaller lobster tail it's best to cook them about 7 to 9 minutes. Anything over 6 ounces will take about 7 to 10 minutes. I am very cautious on making sure I do not overcook my lobster meat. I always use my meat thermometer. For best results, the center of the lobster should reach 145*F.  If you are broiling a larger lobster tail, you'll want to adjust the oven rack down another inch so it can cook more evenly. The lobster will turn a beautiful opaque in color with a white center.