Did you recently find a great deal on frozen lobster tails but aren’t sure how to cook them? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! In this article, I’ll share my juiciest secrets on how to cook frozen lobster tails to perfection.
Where To Find the Best Lobster Tails
Your local fish monger is usually the best place to find the freshest and most reasonably priced lobster tails. If you don’t have one nearby, don’t worry! Many wholesale food clubs and local grocery stores also carry frozen lobster tails in their seafood counter or frozen food section. If you don’t see them, be sure to ask as some stores keep them in the freezer behind the counter to prevent theft.
You can also order frozen lobster tails online, but prices can vary greatly. Keep in mind that popular steak and seafood mail order companies tend to have higher prices compared to other online specialty markets.
Avoid buying thawed lobster tails from the grocery store or fishmonger, as you can never be sure how long they’ve been sitting there. Fresh or frozen is always the way to go when it comes to lobsters, and frozen lobster tails are the best option.
Thawing Your Frozen Lobster Tails
To ensure the best results, it’s recommended to thaw your lobster tails before cooking. There are two methods you can use: cold running water or refrigeration. While both methods work, I prefer thawing them in the refrigerator for safety reasons.
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Thawing in running water can introduce unwanted water into the tail, which can interfere with the cooking process. Thawing in the refrigerator prevents this and only takes a few hours. I usually let them thaw overnight on a sheet pan in the fridge.
What’s the Best Cooking Method?
While boiling, broiling, and roasting can all be used to cook lobster tails, poaching is the secret to achieving the most tender and flavorful meat. Poaching allows for the maximum infusion of aromatics and flavors. The other methods take longer and don’t provide as much opportunity to enhance the taste of the lobster meat.
Low, slow, and gentle heat is the key to keeping the lobster meat tender, making poaching the best option for cooking the tails. Besides, poaching in a liquid allows for endless flavor possibilities.
Cooking Your Lobster Tails
Before you start cooking, make sure to prepare your thawed lobster tails. Use kitchen scissors to cut away the middle undershell, exposing the meat for better flavor absorption. This also makes it easier to eat the tails and remove the meat in one piece, while keeping the beautiful red shell intact for presentation.
To prevent the tails from curling up during cooking, insert a wooden skewer from the top of the tail to the tip. This will help them cook evenly and remain straight.
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Next, prepare the poaching liquid by melting butter with garlic and herbs in a wide saucepan or skillet. The butter not only infuses flavor into the lobster but also absorbs some of the lobster’s natural taste. You can get creative and add other aromatics like fennel, vanilla, chipotle, lime zest, onions, bay leaf, green bell pepper, or coconut milk.
Once the butter has melted, place the lobster tails in the pan, cut-side-up, and baste the exposed meat with the butter. Cover the pan and poach for about 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the lobster meat reaches 135°F for a succulent texture or 140°F for a firmer texture. Make sure the butter never boils, adjusting the heat if necessary.
Serve the lobster tails immediately with some of the melted butter from poaching for a mouthwatering experience.
Leftover Butter and Shells
After poaching the lobster tails, you might have some leftover butter. Transfer it to a glass or ceramic container and store it in the refrigerator for up to five days or in the freezer for up to two months. Remember that freezer storage for too long can affect the taste and smell of the butter.
Don’t forget to save the lobster shells! Store them in a zipper bag in the freezer for up to a year. The shells can be used to add incredible flavor to seafood soups, bisques, stews, and sauces.
So, next time you have frozen lobster tails on hand, don’t worry about what to do. Follow these tips and enjoy a restaurant-quality lobster feast at home. For more mouthwatering recipes and culinary secrets, visit Chefwaynes-bigmamou.
Nigel Gildon editor:Nigel Gildon is the editor of Chef Wayne’s Big Mamou: Chef Wayne’s Big Mamou. He has worked in the publishing industry for many years and has a passion for helping new authors get their work into the hands of readers. 63 Liberty Street * Springfield, MA 01003
