I’ll be honest, I rarely cook lobster tail because for most of the year, on a strictly price per pound basis, my budget runs heavily toward chicken thighs and fresh fruit. That said, my shopping cart regularly includes a premium candy bar or box of cereal and, when you calculate the numbers, those items are actually about as expensive per pound as a luscious piece of lobster, sometimes more expensive than the lobster.
Like many people, I justify candy as a “treat” and feel the need to reserve the protein packed crustacean as a “luxury” served only at some future special occasion. Yet, special occasions come and somehow never seem special enough for lobster. Raise your hand if you’re like me and swallow hard when the butcher rings up eight lobster tails at nearly $100 just for one holiday dinner.
We need to get over ourselves.
Yes, turkey and ham are less expensive. Yes, they are traditional holiday staples. Yes, they are the stars of Norman Rockwell versions of festive American dinners, but are they really anyone’s favorite part of a traditional meal? Rarely.
Turkey takes hours to cook and when you’re working in a small kitchen it’s a juggling act to roast the bird and have the, green beans, mashed potatoes, candied yams, pies, and appetizers ready at the exact same time the meat comes out of the oven.
Lobster tails take minutes to broil in the oven or, better yet, grill outside. Preparation may include sprinkling some seasoning on the meat before it goes on the heat and melting some butter for dipping during dinner. No big production, no roasting pan, no carving board, no sharp knives and carving forks, no fighting over white or dark meat, and no stress about carving like a professional (or your Grandmother who got better Home Ec scores than Martha Stewart).
Ready to make lobster tail the star of this year’s holiday meal? Here are six fabulous ways to serve a main course your guests will remember.
If you’d rather include lobster as a side, your guests will love one (or more) of these lobster tail recipes.