Whole lobster is one type of dish that is popularly consumed in various parts of the world. Unfortunately, lobsters are often sold frozen, rather than fresh, in supermarkets. Luckily, cooking frozen lobster is actually not as difficult as you might think! For tips, try reading the article below.
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Part 1 of 3: Choosing the Best Lobster
Step 1. Buy frozen lobster that hasn't been thawed
Check if the lobster has been briskly boiled (blanching method) before freezing, and whether the lobster was actually stored at a very low temperature or around -17°C.
- If the lobster is not cooked all at once, don't forget to store the rest in a special plastic bag for storing food in the freezer. If packaged in an airtight container, lobster can last in the freezer for up to a year.
- Of course, you can also buy fresh lobster. If stored in the refrigerator instead of the freezer, fresh lobster can last for several days.
Step 2. Choose a good quality frozen lobster
In general, you can buy two types of lobster, namely warm water lobster and cold water lobster. Both have a different taste and quality, and can be purchased only the fins or tails. Usually, not many supermarkets sell frozen whole lobsters raw.
- Hot water lobster, also known as rock lobster, is not particularly delicious as the flesh can become too mushy when cooked. Generally, this type comes from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Florida. Caribbean lobster tails can be detected by the presence or absence of the yellowish spots or circles that characterize the variety.
- The meat in cold water crayfish, also known as Maine lobster, is generally preferred to eat. This type of lobster has a whiter, sweeter, and more tender flesh than warm water lobster. However, of course the selling price is generally more expensive. By origin, cold water crayfish come from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and the northeastern part of America. If the seller doesn't know where the lobster came from, generally a less expensive price indicates that the lobster is from the warm water variety.
- When compared to the tail, the meat contained in lobster claws is less. As a result, the selling price is also cheaper. You can easily find both on the frozen grocery shelves in supermarkets.
- Don't buy lobster tails that have gray or black spots on them. Most likely, the lobster died during processing so it is no longer fresh.
- If you want to use whole lobster, you should cook lobster that is still alive and fresh.
Step 3. Buy enough lobster
Count the number of people who will eat the lobster to make sure the portion of the dish served is enough for everyone. In particular, the lobster tail is the part that contains the most meat.
- Remember, different cultures have different preferences when it comes to how to cook lobster. For example, in Canada lobsters tend to cook longer than in France. In addition, personal preferences also play a very important role. Most importantly, always remember that it's okay to cook lobsters longer, but not less time to keep them cooked to perfection.
- In general, you will need 450 to 675 grams of lobster for each person. In addition to cooking lobster whole, you can also cook only the claws or tail.
Part 2 of 3: Preparing the Lobster
Step 1. Soften the lobster tail
Remember, lobsters should always be softened before cooking, whether they are whole or not. If you don't soften it, chances are that the meat will taste very tough when you eat it.
- It's best to transfer the lobster to the refrigerator and let it sit for at least a full night to soften it. Another equally effective way to soften lobster quickly is to put it in a plastic bag, then immerse the bag in a pot of water, and put the pot in the refrigerator. Ideally, the lobster bath water should be changed at least once.
- If you're in a very hurry, feel free to thaw the lobster in the microwave. While it's better than freezing lobster tails, it's no more ideal than gently thawing the lobster. It's best not to soften lobsters by soaking them in warm water or placing them at room temperature. Lobster tongs should also be fully softened before cooking.
- Another method that you can use if you are in a hurry is to put the lobster in a plastic bag and then soak it in cold water without needing to put it in the refrigerator. Change the lobster bath water every 5-10 minutes, but make sure you only soak it for a maximum of 30 minutes. After that, continue the softening process in the refrigerator.
Step 2. Cut the lobster shell if you want to cook the tail
Once the lobster has softened, cut the shell that is in the middle of its back with the help of very sharp scissors.
- To do this, point the tip of the scissors between the meat and the shell of the lobster. Don't fiddle with the tail fan, then lift the lobster flesh through the incision you made on the surface of the shell. Now, you have successfully made a "piggyback lobster tail."
- Another way that can be used is to start with a lobster tail. Then, pull the soft layer behind the lobster shell and remove the layer. After that, bend the lobster tail down. If the joint is broken, surely the lobster will not roll up when cooked.
Part 3 of 3: Choosing the Right Cooking Method
Step 1. Boil the lobster
Boiling is actually one of the most common methods of cooking lobster. First, boil water in a large saucepan. Make sure the amount of water is large enough to be able to submerge the entire lobster tail, OK!
- For every 1 liter of water, add 1 tbsp. salt. Add the softened lobster to the water. Then, cover the pot and boil the lobster over low heat for 5 minutes for every 100 grams of lobster tail. For every 30 grams of extra weight, add 1 minute of boiling time.
- The lobster is done when the shell is bright red and the flesh is tender when pierced with a fork. If the lobster tail is cut, cook the lobster until the meat inside is white. If the color is still transparent, boil the lobster again until it is completely cooked.
Step 2. Grill the lobster using the broiling method in the oven
First, set the broil setting on the oven. Since broiling is a very short process, always keep an eye on the lobster to make sure it doesn't burn.
- Arrange the lobster tails on the baking sheet. Make sure the shell is facing up, then grill the lobster for 4 minutes. Also make sure there is about 12 cm between the surface of the lobster and the heat source.
- If the lobster tail is very large, try dividing it into two portions first. Once one side is cooked, flip the lobster over and grill the other side for 5 minutes. Delicious lobster is ready to be served!
Step 3. Steam the lobster
A very healthy way to cook lobster is to steam it. First, pour water until it fills 1 cm bottom of the pot, then add 1 tbsp. salt and 1 tbsp. vinegar into it.
- Put the lobster in the pot and put the lid on. For every 450 grams of whole lobster, try steaming it for 10 minutes and increase the steaming time by 7-8 minutes for every extra 450 grams. Lobster tails can be steamed in a much shorter time.
- Alternatively, you can also install a steamer rack inside the pot and place the lobsters there to steam them. Previously, fill 5 cm bottom of the pot with water and bring it to a boil.
Step 4. Boil the lobster with the poaching technique
Not much different from the steaming technique, the poaching method also uses a small amount of water. The difference is that the temperature of the water must be maintained so that it does not reach its boiling point. If you wish, you can add a variety of aromatic spices and seasonings to enrich the taste of the lobster when it is cooked.
- To boil lobster with this technique, you first need to prepare the boiling water in a closed saucepan. Add the lemon, chives, onions, and celery to a small amount of water. If you want, you can also add chicken stock or vegetable stock to enhance the taste of the cooking water. Also add various spices according to taste. remember, you only need to fill about 2.5 to 5 cm bottom of the pot with water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and heat the water on low for a few minutes.
- Put the lobster into the water, then cover the pot tightly and boil every 450 grams of lobster for 7-8 minutes on low heat. If the water boils again, reduce the duration but make sure the lobster is completely cooked. As much as possible, do not let the lobster boiled water boil.
- A lobster is ripe when its tiny antennae or legs can be easily pulled out and the color of the flesh on the tail has turned white. If the flesh is still transparent, cook the lobster for a few more minutes.
Step 5. Grill the lobster with the grill
To grill the lobster, look for a criss-cross pattern on the back of the lobster's head, then pierce the pattern with a sharp, heavy knife. After that, cut the shell located on the lobster's back until the lobster is split lengthwise.
- Place the lobster on the grill with the meat facing down. Then, bake the lobster for 8 to 10 minutes without turning it over.
- Before grilling the lobster, first grease the surface with butter or olive oil. If you want, you can also pierce the tail with a metal skewer to make the roasting process easier.
Step 6. Bake the lobster in the oven
If you wish, you can grill lobster tails or tongs with this method. However, first preheat the oven to be used to a temperature of 204°C.
- Unite the tongs to be roasted. Wrap the lobster claws in aluminum foil, then place the foil on a baking sheet. Bake the lobster fins for 10 minutes.
- The lobster claws are cooked when they look pink. You can easily find this section on frozen grocery shelves in supermarkets.
Tips
- Cooking lobster is actually a very short process, generally under 30 minutes. What takes more time is the process of softening the frozen lobster. Therefore, provide enough free time, yes!
- Add sea salt instead of regular table salt to the water used to boil the lobster to enhance the lobster's flavor when cooked.
- The quickest and easiest way to cook frozen lobster is to boil it.
