If you grew up playing The Sims like I did, then you know exactly what lobster thermidor is. Or at least, you know what it is in the context of the popular RPG (role playing game): Its the final meal your simulated character learns after studying the culinary arts over the course of a few days. As in real life, in The Sims, the more you cook and the more cookbooks you read, the more recipes you learn, and the faster your simulated character can graduate from salad to spaghetti to tri-tip steak, then finally to lobster thermidor.
So how does this relate to perfectly cooked lobster? Lobster thermidor is, for one, a dish I’d like to eat every single day. It also calls for lobster tail meat, which must be cooked properly in order to enjoy the succulent, sweet flavor of lobster and maintain its juicy texture, wihtout chewiness. If you bear with me for a few more minutes while I spread the love for lobster thermidor, I’ll then get into how to thaw frozen lobster tails (which are much more accessible if you don’t live in Maine and want to indulge in the crustacean year-round) and how to cook lobster tails.
In order to satisfy my curiosity and save you time and money, I tested four of the best ways to cook lobster tails, including steamed, broiled, boiled, and grilled. But first, back to lobster thermidor. From Our Shop
Lobster tails are a delicious and indulgent seafood treat that many home cooks shy away from preparing at home, thinking they are too difficult or expensive However, broiling lobster tails is actually a very easy cooking method that results in succulent, restaurant-quality lobster with minimal effort.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll answer the question “can you broil lobster tails?” and walk through everything you need to know to make perfect broiled lobster tails at home.
An Overview of Broiling Lobster Tails
Broiling is a dry-heat cooking method that uses direct radiant heat from above to quickly cook food. To broil lobster tails, you place them flesh-side up on a baking sheet and slide them under the preheated broiler in your oven. The high heat gently cooks the lobster meat while also lightly searing the surface.
Broiling brings out the natural sweetness of the lobster meat. It gives the tails a hint of smoky flavor while keeping them incredibly moist and tender. The preparation is simple with most recipes requiring just lobster tails butter, and seasonings.
Broiled lobster tails are ready in only 10-15 minutes, making this one of the fastest and easiest ways to prepare lobster at home. The rich, indulgent results make it an impressive meal for special occasions or an everyday treat.
Can You Use Frozen Lobster Tails?
One question that often comes up is whether you can successfully broil frozen lobster tails. The good news is that frozen tails work just as well as fresh. However, you need to thaw them properly first.
Here are a few tips for handling frozen lobster tails:
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Thaw tails overnight in the refrigerator. This gradual thawing helps maintain texture and moisture.
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You can quick thaw in cold water in about 1-2 hours. Place in a plastic bag and submerge in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes.
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Never thaw lobster tails at room temperature or in hot water. This causes the proteins to break down, resulting in mushy meat.
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Pat the thawed tails dry before broiling to prevent steaming versus direct-heat cooking.
As long as you thaw them slowly and completely, frozen lobster tails will broil up just as delicious as fresh tails.
Step-By-Step Instructions for Broiling Lobster Tails
Broiling lobster tails is a straightforward process that begins with simple prep and ends with melt-in-your-mouth seafood. Follow these easy steps:
Ingredients
- Lobster tails, thawed if frozen
- Butter, melted
- Garlic, minced (optional)
- Lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
- Paprika or cayenne pepper
Directions
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Preheat your oven’s broiler to high heat. Place the oven rack about 6 inches from heat source.
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Prepare the lobster tails by using kitchen shears to cut lengthwise along the top shell. Cut from the wider end down towards the tail.
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Gently loosen and lift the meat away from the bottom shell. Lay the meat over the top of the shell.
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In a small bowl, mix together melted butter, lemon juice, garlic, and desired seasonings.
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Brush the lobster meat generously with the butter mixture. Sprinkle lightly with paprika or cayenne pepper.
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Arrange tails on a broiler pan or baking sheet. Broil for 8-12 minutes until opaque and lightly browned.
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Remove tails from oven and let rest 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Tips for Perfectly Broiled Lobster
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Choose cold water tails for a sweeter flavor and tender texture. Warm water tails can get chewy.
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Use a digital thermometer to check doneness. Lobster is perfectly cooked at 140°F internal temperature.
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Prevent overcooking by basting with butter halfway through broiling time. Watch tails closely near end.
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For added flavor, try compound butter with herbs, garlic, citrus zest or different spices.
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Serve with melted butter, lemon wedges, fresh parsley, toasted bread and your favorite sides.
Following this easy method and recipe will give you restaurant-quality broiled lobster tails with minimal effort. The preparation is simple enough for a weeknight meal yet impressive enough for dinner parties.
What Kind of Lobster Tails Work Best?
When selecting lobster tails for broiling, you’ll come across a few key differences that impact flavor and texture:
Cold Water vs. Warm Water Tails
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Cold water tails come from lobsters caught in the colder, northern Atlantic waters off Canada and New England.
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Warm water tails come from lobsters caught in the southern Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.
Key Differences:
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Cold water tails are considered more flavorful with a sweeter taste. The colder temperatures result in a higher fat content.
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Warm water tails have a milder flavor. The warmer waters yield a leaner lobster with slightly rubbery texture.
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Cold water tails are generally more expensive than warm water tails.
For broiling, cold water lobster tails are highly recommended. The sweeter flavor and tender texture really shine with this cooking method.
Tail Sizes
Lobster tails are categorized by weight/size:
- Small tails: 3-5 oz.
- Medium tails: 6-8 oz.
- Jumbo tails: 10-12 oz.
Key Differences:
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Smaller tails cook faster, while larger tails take a bit longer. Adjust broiling times accordingly.
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Larger tails are easier to prep and stuff with fillings. Small tails are more delicate.
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Jumbo tails deliver big portions for impressively plated dishes.
Any size lobster tail can be broiled effectively. For special occasions, go big with jumbo or large tails. For everyday meals, smaller tails keep costs down.
Wild Caught vs. Farmed
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Wild caught tails come from lobsters fished from the ocean floor. Availability follows lobster fishing seasons.
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Farmed tails come from lobsters raised in tanks on land. They offer year-round availability.
Key Differences:
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Wild caught typically have a juicier texture and more pronounced lobster flavor.
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Farmed tails have milder flavor and can be less expensive. Quality varies more.
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Some prefer wild caught as more natural, while farmed makes lobster accessible all year.
For peak flavor and texture, wild caught lobster tails are recommended, especially for broiling. But farmed tails work well too.
Handy Serving Tips
Presenting broiled lobster tails can be just as important as preparing them. Here are some serving tips and ideas:
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Serve lobster meat removed from shells or with shells split for easy access. Provide lobster shears for guests to snip and pull meat out.
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Garnish plates with fresh parsley, watercress, sliced lemons or limes, edible flowers.
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Serve with clarified butter or flavored butter for dipping.
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Pair with classic sides like baked potatoes, asparagus, corn on the cob, roasted Brussels sprouts.
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For a salad, serve over mixed greens tossed in a lemony vinaigrette.
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Use broiled tails in seafood pasta dishes, risottos or tacos.
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Offer a selection of sauces: clarified butter, lemon butter, aioli, tartar sauce, cocktail sauce.
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Accompany with crusty bread, garlic bread or biscuits to soak up butter and juices.
With its dramatic presentation and culinary versatility, broiled lobster tails always impress either on their own or incorporated into tasty seafood recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I broil lobster tails from raw?
Yes, you can successfully broil uncooked, raw lobster tails. Make sure they are fresh or properly thawed if frozen. Raw tails will take a few minutes longer under the broiler.
What seasoning goes best with broiled lobster?
Simple is best. Lemon, garlic, butter, and herbs complement lobster wonderfully. Avoid heavy spice mixes that overpower the delicate flavor.
Should I baste the lobster while broiling?
Basting halfway through with butter will help keep the tails moist and flavorful. It also promotes even cooking.
Can I stuff the lobster tails before broiling?
Absolutely. Try stuffing with breadcrumbs, crab meat, chorizo, cheese, etc. Just be sure to add a couple minutes to the broiling time.
Is it done when it turns red?
Color alone doesn’t indicate doneness. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. Lobster is perfectly cooked at 140°F.
Conclusion
As you can see, broiling lobster tails is easy, quick, and delivers incredible results! All you need are a few simple ingredients and 10-15 minutes under the broiler. For your next special occasion or surf and turf dinner, give this method a try. Just remember to thaw frozen tails, prep the shells, baste with butter, and broil 6 inches from heat until opaque and 140°F. Soon you’ll be enjoying tender, juicy, restaurant-worthy lobster tails.
What exactly is lobster thermidor?
Its a gratin dish from the 60s and 70s where lobster tail meat has been folded into a creamy mélange of egg yolks, brandy, mustard, and Gruyère cheese. Its rich and delicious and hardly anyone makes it anymore.
Why? Because lobsters expensive as heck. If I lived on the Maine coast Id have access to fresh lobster 24/7. But unfortunately I do not, so instead I enjoy it at home on special occasions like Valentine’s Day, my birthday, or a Wednesday night.
If you cant get whole, live lobsters at your corner fishmonger, then I recommend heading to your local Whole Foods or Costco to buy frozen lobster tails.
But be warned: The two are vastly different. At the Whole Foods fish counter, youll be able to find individual, uncooked (previously frozen) lobster tails for around $10 each. These are the small, fleshy, Maine-like ones that are sweet and flavorful. The Costco lobster tails might be more affordable by the pound, but youll notice that theyre a different breed than the American ones, i.e. theyre large and spiny and from places like Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, etc. (I also think theyre a little less flavorful, but thats just me.) But lobster is expensive enough and inaccessible enough that if you find a great product, stock up (that’s the beauty of the pre-frozen stuff anyway).
Whatever you end up getting, be sure to thaw them properly before cooking. From Our Shop
Tips For Perfectly Broiled Lobster Tails
How to buy the best lobster tails. When looking for a lobster tail at the store, it helps to have a bit of information to buy the best tails! You want a lobster tail with no discoloration on the meat, no fishy smell (it should smell slightly sweet and have a neutral smell), and not look slimy. Lobster tails should not be soaked or rinsed with sodium tripolyphosphate or other preservative chemicals – and should be fresh-frozen if not live or freshly caught.
Cold Water vs Warm Water Lobster Tails
Cold water lobster is a better pick than warm water lobster for broiled lobster tails – it is known for a sweeter flavor, and is less likely to get gummy. It is generally more expensive, but as lobster is the main flavor in this dish – unlike dishes using lobster like pasta – you will want the most flavorful lobster, so opt for cold water, though either works.
How lobster tails are weighed and sized. Despite being sold by the pound, a single 1-lb. lobster will weigh approximately 14 oz. when cooked. Lobster will yield 3.5 to 4 oz. of meat when the shell is removed – and this holds true for tails too, as a decent amount of a Lobster tails weight is in the shell (don’t worry you’re wasting that great shell – you can use it in stocks or soups to get great lobster flavor to other dishes!)
How many lobster tails to serve per person. If you’re making lobster tails as the main dish, you’ll want to pay attention to the lobster tail size and weight to be sure you have enough lobster to fill you up. In general, you should plan for about 8-10 oz of cooked lobster tail meat per person if you’re serving lobster tails as your main dish – meaning two lobster tails per person, unless they are jumbo lobster tails.
How to thaw frozen lobster tails. While fresh is always best, fresh-frozen lobster tails are delicious when thawed properly.
- Always let frozen lobster tails thaw fully before cooking.
- Place frozen Lobster tails in the fridge the day before you make these to thaw naturally. We like to let it sit on paper towels to soak up any ice melt.
- Submerge frozen lobster tails under cold water for 20 minutes to 30 minutes to thaw rapidly if you can’t let them thaw overnight.
- Don’t rush the thawing process in the microwave. Defrosting lobster tails in the microwave will make the frozen lobster meat tough.
You can find this recipe in our best lobster recipes web story here.
Where to place lobster in oven. Broil lobster tail by placing on a baking sheet in the middle rack of the oven, underneath a broiler.
Use paprika. For best presentation, brush top of lobster tail with melted butter and sprinkle with paprika and white pepper before broiling, so the butter and paprika can cook into top of lobster creating a lovely golden red hue. I like both smoked or hot paprika – you can pick if you’d prefer a bit of smoky or a bit of spicy.
Plan about 10 minutes of cooktime. This recipe calls for about 10 minutes of cook time – which will vary a bit based on the size of your lobster tail, your oven, and if you preheat the broiler fully before adding lobster tails to oven. If you have a very large lobster tail it will take a bit longer – but smaller tails should be perfect at around 10 minutes, or about 2 minutes + a minute per ounce.