Lobster

Yield: 6 servings

 

 

Ingredients

 

3 tablespoons of cold water

 

1 cup unsalted butter, divided into 16 tablespoon-sized pieces

 

6 raw 4-ounce lobster tails

 

 

Side suggestions

 

Wild rice

 

White rice

 

Mashed potatoes

 

 

 

Dipping Sauces

 

Simmering butter

 

Simmering butter with 6-8 tablespoons (to taste) lemon juice

 

Clarified butter with lemon juice

 

 

Garnish

 

Basil chiffonade

 

 

 

Steps

1. Remove lobster tails from ice box for 30 minutes, allowing them to come to room temperature.
2. Using kitchen shears, trim the underside of the tail next to each side of the shell, and remove the swimmerets and connective tissue from the top of the shells to the base of the tail and uropods.
3. Remove the tail meat, as one piece, from the shell.
4. Bring a 3-quart saucepan of cold water to a boil.
5. Place tail shells in boiling water.
6. When they turn red, use tongs to remove tails from boiling water. Allow tail shells to drain and dry. Discard water.
7. Place 3 tablespoons cold water in a 3-quart saucepan over medium head and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat.
8. Add a slice of butter to the simmering water and whisk until it melts. Adjust heat if necessary to ensure that the butter continues to melt, but does not come to a simmer or separate (the temperature of the liquid should not exceed 170°F.) Continue adding each slice of butter, following the same procedure, until all the pieces have been melted. Whisk constantly to ensure the poaching butter does not separate.
9. Add lobster tails. Heat simmering liquid until barely simmering. Cover the saucepan and remove from the heat.
10. Poach for 6-8 minutes (lobster tails should be white to the center, between 140-145° F.). Remove from heat immediately when done.
11. While lobster tails are poaching, place plates, boiled shells, and prepared side (on a trivet or similar counter heat protector) nearby.
12. When tails are done, place chosen side in center of plate. Place a tail shell, shell side down, in the center of the chosen side. Remove a tail from the poaching liquid and place, shell side of the poached tail up, on top of the plated reserved tail shell and push the tail and uropods up over the end of the tail meat.
13. Garnish and serve immediately with a bowl of chosen dipping sauce on the side.