Every week I answer a question from a Good Food listener. You can email me a question, leave one on Facebook or add one in the comments section here. This week’s question comes from Tony:
There is a sale on lobster tails. I love lobster but have no idea what to do with the tails. Any ideas?
Run and buy them! The tails are the home cooks bonanza of easy and impressive meals. Once you have the tail, cut it with a sharp knife down the back. Make a small cross cut at the bottom of the tail. It’s like you’re making a door into the meat. Then pop the shell open. You can then slather the tail with herbs of your choice some good breadcrumbs, like the ones Russ Parsons and I talk about here. Then drizzle a bit good olive oil over your crumbed tail and pop it in a hot oven or under a broiler. Take a look at this video here (and below).
(via Flickr)
Another super easy way to use the meat from lobster tails is in pasta. Take the meat out of the shells and chop it up into largish chunks. You can then use it in any of the following classic Roman sauces. Make the sauces then add the lobster tails to the sauce and cook until done over low heat. You might want to cover the pan for the first couple of minutes. I’d throw a small handful of chopped Italian parsley into each of the sauces at the end, just before serving. A nice sprinkling of garlickly breadcrumbs is a lovely garnish and adds a nice textural counterpoint.
Aglio e Olio e Peperoncino – Slice garlic. Stew in pan with ¼ inch of olive oil, crushed or whole cayenne peppers and a squeeze of lemon and pinch of salt at the end.
Arrabiata – ¼ inch olive oil in pan with crushed cayenne peppers. Add pureed whole tomatoes in juice. Cook over lively heat until juices begin to come together. Put one or two garlic cloves through press into sauce. Salt to taste. Cook until reduced to sauce.
Puttanesca– Slice garlic. Stew in pan with ¼ inch of olive oil, crushed or whole cayenne peppers, a tablespoon of capers and some good black olives (pits removed). Add pureed whole tomatoes in juice. Cook over lively heat until reduced to sauce, stirring frequently.