The Crustacean Tail

Lobster tails have been on my mind for a while now, so I decided it was time to get my hands dirty. As a working professional, elaborate things such as lobsters aren't hard to tackle on a weeknight... not if you have garlic and butter at home! This recipe is probably one of the easiest ways to prepare lobster tails in less than 30 minutes!

Lobster tail with garlic butter and herbs

To butterfly a lobster tail, plate one flat on a cutting board with the head side facing you and the tail side facing away. Using kitchen shears, cut down the center of the shell at the top until you reach the beginning of the tail. Turn the tail around to the side with the ribs, and crack all the ribs. Turn the tail back around to the cut shell and use your fingers to pry open the shell and dig out the lobster meat in one piece; leave it attached to the tail bit. Place the meat on top of the now-empty shell. Prepare four of these and place them in a baking dish.

Preheat the oven to 190C. Mix in a bowl a spoon of Dijon mustard, two spoons of melted butter, a spoon of pressed garlic, a spoon of oregano, salt, pepper and paprika to taste, two spoons of lime, and a spoon of finely chopped coriander. Maybe add a small drizzle of olive oil. Pour this mixture over the lobster tails, and add an additional slice of two of (solid) butter on top of each. Pop the baking dish into the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the lobsters look solid and opaque.

To serve, take the lobster tails out of the baking dish and put on a plate, then spoon the liquid leftover in the dish onto the tail generously like a sauce. Season if you want, and serve with something light on the side!