Many people think that cooking lobster tails is challenging, but in many cases, these people are mixing up the process of cooking lobster tails with that of cooking whole lobsters. Cooking a full lobster calls for increased preparation time, not to mention the extra expenses (lobster tails are much cheaper).
When choosing lobster tails at the supermarket, you’ll want to stick with the tails from clawless lobsters. This may seem counterintuitive, as clawed lobsters are preferable for cooking whole lobsters. But clawless lobster tails have more meat than clawed lobster tails, so by purchasing clawless lobster tails, you’ll get more for what you pay.
When purchasing lobster tails, you will also need to choose between lobsters that come from the warmer waters of Central America or those from cold watered areas, such as Australia or South Africa. Since warm water lobsters are more likely to be of low quality, it is better to stick with cold water lobsters. Many people who wish to save money on lobster tails purchase warm water lobster tails, which are less expensive. Often, these people end of regretting this decision, as in a large percentage of cases, the warm water lobster tails are bad and therefore a complete waste of money.
Be sure to pay attention to the color of the lobster tails. Gray or black discoloration is never a good sign. The best lobster will be lighter in color. Smelling the lobster tails may also help you avoid wasting money on lobster gone bad. Even when frozen, poor quality lobster tails will smell distinctly of ammonia.
Before cooking the lobster tails, you will want to defrost them. Avoid defrosting lobster tails in the microwave-it is too easy to accidentally cook them. Common methods of defrosting lobster tails include placing them in a cold bowl of water for several hours, or leaving them in the refrigerator overnight.
There are several methods of cooking lobster tails. Lobster tails can be grilled, boiled, steamed or baked. Beginners typically have the most success with boiling lobster tails.
Before boiling the lobster tails, it is important to poke a wooden skewer down the length of each lobster tail. This will prevent the tails from curling while they are being cooked. Next, fill a large pot or saucepan with water.
Add one teaspoon of salt for every quart of water in the pot. Set the heat to high and bring the water to a rapid boil. Place the lobster tails in the boiling water. You will want to boil the lobster tails one minute for each ounce of meat. For example, a three ounce lobster tail would boil for three minutes.
Once the tails are boiled, drain the pot or saucepan thoroughly and place the lobster tails in a colander to cool. To split the lobster tails, use a knife to cut lengthwise down the middle of each lobster tail.
There are many ways to serve boiled lobster tails. One popular method is to serve them hot with lemon herb butter.
<>
