Making baked lobster is a popular preparation method for lobster tails. To produce a tasty and professional looking dish, there are several tips that can make all the difference. Lobster must be thawed properly for the meat to be tender. Butterflying the lobster tail or skewering the tail stops the lobster tail from curling during cooking. The taste is affected by the origins of the lobster, as well as the flavoring and ingredients added.
Baked lobster that is very tough is usually not properly defrosted. It is important for the cook to let frozen lobster defrost in the refrigerator for six to eight hours. An alternative is microwaving the frozen lobster using the defrost function. Frozen lobster should not be allowed to defrost on the counter, because this encourages harmful bacteria and can lead to food poisoning.
Cooks can be discouraged if their lobster curls up when baking and does not lie flat. Lobster will curl up because the meat expands as it cooks. A skewer can be placed lengthwise through the lobster tail to stop curling. Another option is butterflying the baked lobster, which means slicing the top of the lobster tail in half, lengthwise. The cut allows the lobster meat to expand without curling.
The taste of baked lobster is affected by the origins of the lobster. Coldwater lobster typically comes from New Zealand, Australia or South Africa. Warmwater lobster usually originates from Florida, South America or Central America.
Coldwater lobster tends to be more expensive but offers the best quality meat and the best taste. Warmwater lobster is less expensive, but the chance of purchasing "bad" meat is greater. The meat might fall apart when cooking, and it frequently smells like ammonia. If the baked lobster is for a special meal, it is best for coldwater lobster to be used.
The ingredients used in the baked lobster recipe influence the final taste of the dish. Baked lobster is frequently stuffed or baked with lots of butter and bread crumbs. These are not the only ingredients that can be added to the lobster. Wine, bacon, vegetables and other herbs can be used. Ultimately, the ingredients used will depend on the recipe and other accompanying dishes.
It is important for the cook to use wine, water or butter when baking lobster because it can dry out when it is being cooked. The liquid helps keep the baked lobster tender. One should be aware that lobster continues to cook for a little while after it is removed from the oven. It should be removed from the oven a few minutes early and allowed to finish cooking outside of the oven.