HOW TO COOK LOBSTER

Lobster is rightfully considered as one of the best seafoods around the world. They have come a long way from being considered in some cultures as food for the slaves and peasants just a century ago, to the stature that they have now in many international cuisines.

The most popular lobster species is the Clawed Lobster. The best quality lobsters are being caught in the Caribbean, Europe and the Canadian Maritimes. Lobster can be found in the grocery stores alive in fish tanks or if the idea of killing lobsters to eat them does not seem very appetizing to you, you can buy the tails only, which are sold frozen. Also, lobster meat and claws can be found in cans or frozen vacuum packed, and can be used in such recipes as Lobster Newberg.

Some restaurants keep live lobsters in fish tanks and will let you choose the one you would like for dinner. Then the cook would drop the live lobster head first in boiling water flavoured with herbs, white wine and lemon. It usually takes seven minutes for the first pound and two minutes for every pound after that. If you buy frozen lobster tails to cook them at home, the best cooking method is broiling. Broiling is the cooking process when the heat comes from over the food. That means using only the top element in your oven, or simply baking the lobster tails on the top shelf about 3 inches away from the top heat element.

How To Cook Lobster Tails: Thaw the lobster tail only half way, and what it is still slightly frosty, butterfly it, season it with lemon-pepper seasoning and baste it with clarified butter. Cover the tail end with something moist such as zucchini slice to protect it from burning, and broil it for about 10 minutes at 425 F or until the meat is tender and white, not translucent. Do not over cook the lobster tail, or otherwise the meat will be tough. Baste the meat several times with clarified butter during cooking. The lobster tail can also be cooked in pizza oven. See here how a broiled lobster tail should look. Also check this link for a dish made with lobster claws.

Another good use for lobster meat and claws is seafood stew-like soups. Often lobster is used in the following seafood soups: In France - Bouillabaisse, in Italy - Cioppino, in Spain - Zarzuella. Lobster bisque is another very popular soup around the world. Many upscale Italian restaurants serve pastas with lobster. Lobster meat and tail goes well with long noodles and creamy sauces that include some kind of liqueur, such as Pernod or Sambuca.

Lobster is a wonderful food and there are hundreds of ways that it can be cooked and enjoyed. It can be stuffed in ravioli, in spring rolls, lasagna, chilli, used as stuffing for mushrooms or wrapped in puff pastry or phillo dough.

Whichever way you choose to cook your lobster, the mere presence of this luxurious food on your table is a guarantee that you will entertain your guests and enjoy a great gourmet dinner.