Lobster dishes were known to be a poor man’s dish because they were easily available at a very cheap price. Back in 1800’s in areas of North America, it was considered a cheap meal, and preferred as bait for bigger fish. In those days, an average lobster used to be much larger and heavier than we see today. With passage of decades, demand for lobsters started increasing and natural lobster farming got more difficult. Today lobster farming has become a profitable industry serving a luxury food to those who still can afford this relatively expensive lifestyle. Well, obviously we can, so here we are for another tasty variation: lobster with tarragon butter.
Boiled Lobster
Ingredients:
- Two 1 ½ lbs. lobsters
- 1 shallot
- 1 tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon leaves
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
Equipment:
- Large pot or a Turkey fryer large enough for two lobsters to set in nicely
- Colander
- Small saucepan
- Scissors or kitchen shears
- Tongs
Lobster Boiling Directions:
Fill ¾ of the pot with salted water and bring it to a boil. If you are using a Turkey fryer then put the lobsters head first and claws out in the basket. Put the lobsters the same way in the pot if you are using a large pot. Normally lobster claws come tied with rubber bands, it is better to remove them to avoid changing the taste. If you are careful, you can easily remove them with scissors after they are put in the basket/pot. Once the claws are untied, let it curl inside so they are boiled properly. Let them boil for about 7 to 8 minutes and then transfer the lobsters with tongs to a colander. If you are already using a turkey fryer then the basket will safely drain the water. Notice that the lobsters will turn color to orange or a reddish color from original.
Chop the shallot and melt it with butter in a saucepan. While they are mixing together, add tarragon leaves, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Put the tarragon butter aside to season the lobster tails.
Place the lobsters on a platter using tongs. If you are using gloves then let the lobsters cool for about 5 minutes. There is a thin membrane underside of each tail that you can cut with kitchen shears. Spread the tarragon butter on the tails and your dish is ready.
Lobster Tips:
- Some people like to use clarified butter instead which can be easily prepared by boiling a stick of butter and removing the scum to have just pure butter.
- To present it nicely, you can remove the claws by twisting and pulling them off and the legs under the tail.
- For convenience of your guests, you can take out the meat from the tail, carve it out into a boat-like shape and put them back sliced.
- Put a bowl of clarified butter in the middle for dipping.
- Use lemons, head and claws to decorate around the dish
