Eating lobster at a restaurant can really put a hole in someone’s pocket. Though it comes at a big price, the lobster itself is something that people do not mind shelling the big bucks for. If you’re one of those people who loves lobster and can’t always eat out, there is no need to worry. Cooking lobster is just as difficult (or for some easy) as eating it. If you don’t want to get the entire lobster, frozen lobster legs are easily available in specialty grocery stores.

A fact that not many people know about lobster is that it takes seven years for a lobster to grow to the size that can be considered eatable or servable. Keeping this in mind is no wonder that it is such an expensive piece of meat. Unlike other meats and like most seafood, lobster cannot be over experimented with. There are only a few ways to cook lobster. You can either boil steam or grill it.

The first step in cooking frozen lobster tails is to thaw the tails. You can do this by leaving the tails out on a room temperature or soak them in warm water to help quicken the thawing process. You can also defrost the tails by taking them out of the freezer and leaving them in the fridge over night.

Once the lobster tails have been defrosted, the next step is to get through the shell. This can be tricky because one has to be careful not to get rid of the meat in the process of getting through the shell. Always start by rinsing the lobster tails with cool water.

Next, open the shell just enough to expose the meat. Cut away as much of the shell as possible. This should expose the tender meat inside. Gently rinse the tails again. Your lobster tails are ready to cook.

If you prefer to cook your lobster tails with the shell on and want to enjoy the feat of cracking to open the shell, then you can prepare your lobster a little differently. While the tails are still frozen you can submerge them into a pot with hot water in it. Remember to bring the water to a boil first and then drop in the tails. Reduce the heat and let the tails simmer in the water for about 5 - 8 minutes. Break the shell partly down the middle and expose the meat. The lobster tails can now be grilled or cooked as desired.

It is extremely important to de-thaw the lobster tails as this will keep the lobster tails from becoming tough while cooking. If you want to tenderize your lobster, you can marinate the lobster tails in an acidic based ingredient like lime juice, lemon, orange juice or even pineapple.

After that, you can cook as desired or just spritz some melted butter to enjoy the natural taste of one of the most expensive seafood available.

For an easy frozen lobster recipe you can do the following:

You will need:

5 frozen lobster tails

3 tablespoons butter

3 onions, sliced (1/2 cup)

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons cilantro (make a paste)

Directions:

1. Thaw lobster tails, if frozen.

2. Wash and rinse the lobster tails and let dry. To butterfly the tails, cut lengthwise through centers of the top of the shells and meat. Cut to the bottom shells. Spread the meat apart slightly by using your fingers to do so.

3. To make the stuffing, heat a skillet and melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Add crushed onion, garlic and cilantro. Cook the ingredients for 1 minute; remove skillet from heat. Stuff the paste in the open lobster shell.

4. In a grill, place the lobster tails over drip pan, stuffing side up. Cover and grill for 25 to 30 minutes or until lobster meat is white in color.

This recipe makes 5 servings.

Jonathan Pitts

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