Grilled lobster should be cooked with the right charcoal, monitored carefully, and served immediately. Avoid strong spices and fancy sauces, and don’t overcook it. Use live lobster if possible and grill it in the shell. Serve with fresh side dishes and a simple sauce.
A grilled lobster meal will be memorable when the right charcoal is used, the cooking process is diligently monitored, and the lobster is served as soon as it’s done. Side dishes such as vegetables or pasta should be prepared with the freshest possible ingredients and cooked to bring out their natural flavour. Fancy sauces and strong spices should be avoided and the whole process should be kept as simple as possible.
The most important tip to follow when grilling lobster is not to overcook it. Like all seafood, lobster cooks very quickly and is ready to serve in minutes. Recipes that call for a lobster to spend more than 20 minutes total on the grill probably haven’t been field-tested; it is possible that the timing instructions were assumed by the author and not double-checked by the publisher. Cooking medium-sized lobster over direct heat can be done in as little as four to five minutes per side.
Some meats have acceptable degrees of “doneness” such as “rare”, “medium” and “well done”. These grades do not apply to lobster, which is done when the shell is bright red and the thickest part of the meat is opaque. As soon as these criteria are met, but not before, the lobster should be removed from the grill and served.
Live lobster is always preferable to frozen, but there are many places where live lobster is either unavailable or prohibitively expensive. Those who are squeamish about using live lobster should use the frozen variety as well. Frozen lobster should be thawed slowly and carefully, either by moving it from the freezer to the refrigerator for about a day or by sealing it in a plastic bag and placing it in a bowl of cold water. Trying to speed up the process by thawing frozen lobster in the microwave or in a bowl of hot water will cause the meat to lose its firm texture. On the other hand live lobster should be kept alive until the last minute.
Another tip for grilling lobster is to grill it in the shell. It’s fine to cut or even split the shell to expose the meat, but the meat should not be removed from the shell before cooking. Not only does the shell protect the meat from overcooking and drying out, but it also imparts a wonderful flavor. It’s not unusual for the shell to char a bit in the process; this adds a nice flavor to the meat.
Grilled lobster’s flavor is the main attraction—it shouldn’t be overwhelmed by sauces or seasonings. It’s fine to make a simple sauce to brush over the lobster before placing it on the grill and melt it if desired, but all ingredients should be as fresh as possible. Most lobster lovers, however, will be just as happy with lobster that has been basted with a light brushing of olive oil or ghee.
A good charcoal is the preferred method for grilling lobster due to the flavor. Adding smoke chips such as cherry or apple wood will add a nice smoke flavor and somewhat compensate for the lack of charcoal if a gas grill is the only method available. The cooking grate should be cleaned and oiled before grilling lobster to prevent sticking.
For the best flavor, grilled lobster should be served immediately after removing it from the grill. Setting it aside while waiting for some other food to cook will cause it to cool, losing flavor; if it’s placed on a hot rack, it will continue to cook and dry out. Therefore, lobster should be the ultimate grilled dish. Grilled lobster is often served with ghee as a dipping sauce; it is perfectly acceptable to lightly flavor the butter with appropriate herbs and spices such as garlic and rosemary.
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