Piggyback Lobster Tail
Let me count the ways…
1. Using heavy utility scissors, cut top of shell down center of tail fan - leave the tail fan intact. Separate shell enough to pull uncooked tail meat up to the rest of the meat in the split shell.
2. Defrost lobster tails overnight in the refrigerator. When defrosted, cut the upper shell down the center of the back with scissors, leaving tail fan intact. Do not remove undershell. I run my little finger between the meat and the shell to loosen from each other. Lift uncooked tail through the slit to rest on the top of the shell (this is called a piggyback lobster tail.)
3. A "piggyback" lobster tail requires that you cut away the top portion of the shell onto to the fan, remove the meat in one long piece, clean and devein it, and then rest it back in its shell for broiling.
4. From Cuisine at Home (like the pictures): Have you ever wondered how restaurants get that lobster tail meat to sit up on its shell? It's easy as long as you know the technique Called "piggybacking."
First, using kitchen shears, cut down the center of the tail's shell up to the fan ‑ do not penetrate the meat as you do this. Now, pull the shell apart until it cracks (about 2") so you can lift out the meat without tearing it.
Gently lift the meat through the cut, pulling up and out towards the fan. Leave the tail end of the meat connected and close the shell. Now, lay the meat back on top of the shell. Clean any remaining em or bits of shell by rinsing under cold water.
Broiling is a good method for cooking piggyback tails. Lightly brush the lobster tails with butter and set them 6-8" under the broiler. Broil just until meat is firm and starts to split slightly. This takes about 5 minutes for a 4‑oz. tail.
(Picture top left) Cut the back of the shell (not the meat) up to the fan. Kitchen shears work best.
(Picture bottom left) Pull top of shell apart and lift meat out, leaving it still connected at tail.
Practice on two of these is like a cooking school lesson, and Liz & I get to eat the results, succeed or fail. Wonder if mangled lobster tail tastes the same as elegantly removed? I appreciate the detail provided in Cuisine at Home, which is why I’ll continue to subscribe. I had never seen this technique (stupid me, but I’m basically a sausage maker), but once I did I had to give it a try.
Cost of lesson, about $20 for two ~8-ounce lobster tails, includes dinner. With the cost of beef currently cranked-up (a farmer friend tells me prices will fall dramatically soon, due to the abundance of feed grain from a nearly perfect growing season), why not have some lobster?
11:05:04 AM 
|
