Thursday, June 12, 2014

Culinary Bytes…

How To Cook Lobster Tail:   A Beginner’s Primer


Dining on lobster is as ritualistic as eating can get.  Generations have learned to crack, puncture, rip, dig and suck out every piece of flesh from the smallest knuckle to the honeycomb chambers of the innards, always leaving the best for last---the tail.  But for ordinary folks, why not just cook and eat the tail? 

The gold standard of lobster tails is the one that belongs to the Homerus americanus, the North Atlantic lobster also known widely by lobster aficionados as the Maine lobster, or in Gloucester as the Massachusetts lobster, in Providence as the Rhode Island lobster or in the Atlantic provinces of Canada, you guessed it, as the Canadian lobster.    The bountiful seafood of the cold water of the North Atlantic ensures that the meat of the Maine lobster is succulent and sweet.  After all, Maine lobsters feast on many of the same sea creatures for which we humans pay dearly at top of the line, fine dining establishments.    Crabs, scallops, clams, fin fish, shrimp, mussels, seaweed and sea urchins as well as the ever present plankton are all part of their diet, the resulting buttery flavored sweetness of cooked lobster substantial proof of the phrase you are what you eat.  

If this is your first time dining on lobster tail, I recommend you cook the whole live lobster, skip the ritual and go for the tail.  You will be rewarded with the freshest, sweetest, most tender lobster meat possible.   So, if you want to know how to cook lobster tail, and find out what all the fuss is about, pick out your North Atlantic lobster from a tank in a store, order it online from a lobster pound or take a trip Downeast and wait at the dock, but whichever you do, forgo the ritual, go for the tail.
                    
Simply Boiled Lobster 
           
This recipe is the primer for how to cook lobster tail.  It uses two 1-1/4 pound live lobsters.  Cooking time depends on size of the lobsters so if you go for a larger or smaller one, you will need to adjust the cooking time.  Even though you are only going to eat the tail, cook the whole lobster.  Like any fish or meat, cutting it (or in this case, dismembering it) after cooking, always provides a more tender piece of flesh.  Since you are only going to eat the cooked tail, break up the rest of the cooked lobster into pieces, leaving the shell on, bag it and freeze it.  Lobster bodies are great for stocks, soups, and sauces. 




Yield  :   2 servings     Preparation Time :  5 minutes             Cooking Time:  10 minutes

Ingredients

2-1 ¼ pound lobsters alive and kicking
Large pot of boiling water
Unsalted butter
Seaweed  (if possible get seawater and seaweed to add to the boiling water)
No salt, spices or herbs are used.  If the lobster is alive and fresh, the saltiness of the shell is all you need.

Directions

Bring the water to a rolling boil.  Place the live lobsters in the water leaving enough room for the water to maintain a rolling boil.  In other words, don’t pack them in.  Do not remove the rubber bands from the claws.  It isn’t called the crushing claw for nothing!  Boil for 10 minutes, remove and let the lobsters rest for 5 minutes.   The red color is the result of a chemical change that takes place in the hot water.  It is not indicative of doneness.  

To remove the tail, pick up the body and hold it in one hand.  With the other hand grab onto the tail where it meets the body and tear it with a downward twist.  The tail should easily dislodge from the body.   Do this over a bowl as the body cavity will be filled with water.  Turn the tail on its back and lay it flat.  With a sharp knife, cut through the underside of the shell, but not through the meat.  Widen the opening enough to pull the meat out in one solid piece. 

Recommended service:  Have unsalted butter melted and ready for dipping!  Serve with corn on the cob and a creamy cole slaw for a traditional Downeast meal. 

Eat smart, feel good…

Chef Angela Bell








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