How to Prepare and Broil a Lobster Tail

Cooked Lobster Tail

Lobster is often considered an elegant treat or something difficult you make for a romantic meal. However, lobster can be a quick easy meal for anyone at anytime when it is seasonally available. Purchase the lobster tails fresh or frozen at stores which carry seafood.

Things You'll Need

• 1 Lobster Tail (4 oz.)
• 2 Tablespoons Melted Butter

Instructions

1. 

   If the lobster is frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator for a day. Rinse tail. Prepare the lobster for cooking using cooking shears to cut down the middle of the shell until just before the end of the tail. You can cut through the top of shell to make a pretty presentation called butter flied. Or you can leave the top uncut, instead choosing to cut down the center of the bottom of the shell.

2. 

   Use your fingers to pull the translucent meat off shell and slightly up/out of the shell in order to lie on top, but leave it attached near the end. Place the meat side up in a cooking pan and either drizzle with a teaspoon or use a pastry brush to put some melted butter across the surface of the meat.

3. 

   Place the pan in the oven on the middle rack. High broil to the half-way cooked point, about 4-5 minutes depending on tail size. The meat should begin to turn white around the edges. Remove the pan and give the tail another brush or drizzle of butter to keep it moist.

4. 

   Return pan to oven and cook until it is completely done, approximately another 4 minutes or until meat is completely white and shell color is pinkish. If you want the meat to have a golden tint, move it closer to heat for a few seconds, but watch it closely as it can easily overcook.

5. 

   Serve lobster with melted butter for dipping. A simple salad, some special bread, and a green or yellow vegetable served with the lobster makes a nice meal.

Tips & Warnings

• You can give the lobster a little extra flavor depending on your taste. You can lightly sprinkle garlic salt on it before the first drizzle of butter and cooking. Or you may prefer to squeeze some lemon juice on it before serving.

• You may make the melted butter for dipping a little more special by squeezing in lemon juice or adding a few freshly chopped chives. Alternatively, the butter may be thickened with a small amount of flour and darkened using yellow food coloring to make it appear more like a dipping sauce.

• A longer 6 to 8 minutes cooking time may be needed for larger-sized tails in steps 3 and 4.

Resources

• How to Make Quick Shrimp and Avocado Salad