Butterfly your Tails for a 5-Star Dish!
Lobster tails add sophistication to your dinner party menu. The question is “What should I serve, a cold water tail from Maine or Canada, or a warm water variety from the Caribbean or South Pacific waters? Price may draw you to the warm water since their abundant supply lowers the price. Watermen can easily net dozens at a time since they travel in groups, searching for warmer waters. Conversely, cold water lobsters prefer a solitary commute between locations. Possibly, taste may drive your decision. Both boast a buttery sweetness when cooked correctly, but cold water wins awards for tender plumpness and may achieve an even greater succulence. If your recipe calls for sauces, you may want to save some money with a warm water tail, but make sure you allow any excess liquids to escape from the shell, or it will exhibit a mushiness. Chefs prefer butterflying the tail to ensure all liquids escape from the shell, while giving a perfect presentation.
Caution. Feasting your eyes on a butterflied tail may cause profound hunger pangs. Yes, it looks delicious and is quite easy to prepare. (1) Get to the meat of the matter, or vice versa. Take a thawed tail and with cooking shears, carefully cut vertically straight up the top shell. Begin at the meaty side and end right before the tail. Make sure you keep it connected to the tail or it won’t plump up from the shell. (2) Let the lobster fly. Spread the lobster meat from the shell, except, of course, from the tail. Do so by sliding your finger underneath the meat. Drain any excess liquids, just to make sure your tail doesn’t cook into a mushiness. Take a knife and cut a line down the meat’s center about half the thickness and then lay across the shell. (3) Grill if you dare! Turn the grill to medium high and brush garlic butter on the tail. Cook for about 4-5 minutes per side. For those delicious looking grill marks, keep from flipping the tails. Impress your dinner guests with your newfound cooking prowess!
