20 Dreamy Lobster Recipes to Learn (2024)

From loaded lobster rolls to creamy bisque, these lobster recipes offer all kinds of delicious ways to cook with the crustacean. Make an impressive (and quick) lobster risotto for a weeknight dinner; for a mix of seafood, try Chilled Lobster Tails with Green Goddess Aïoli, which not only includes lobster, but shrimp and crab, too. And you can't go wrong with Lobster Mac and Cheese. Sound up your alley? Read on for even more lobster recipes to try.

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Butter-Poached Lobster Rolls with Spicy Sauce

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To make these luxurious lobster rolls, chef Geoffrey Zakarian boils the lobsters, then poaches the meat in butter. To balance all of that richness, he tops the rolls with a spicy mustard mayo.

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Lobster Gnudi

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This elegant lobster gnudi dish from chef Scott Conant gets a springy spin with bright green peas and ramp leaves.

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Lobster Mac and Cheese

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This decadent lobster mac and cheese has it all. A generous amount of lobster meat and a rich three-cheese sauce made with Fontina, Gruyère, and mascarpone are mixed with pasta and baked under a crunchy topping of panko and Parmesan. The cheese sauce has a secret flavor booster: The lobster shells are separated from the meat and cooked with aromatics, wine, milk, and cream to infuse the sauce with a surprising depth of flavor.

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Chilled Lobster Tails with Green Goddess Aïoli

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A vibrant green goddess–inspired dipping sauce is the perfect match for gently steamed, chilled lobster tails. You can steam them yourself as the recipe calls for, or buy them already cooked. Be sure to get Maine lobsters rather than warm-water Caribbean lobsters, as their textures and flavors are quite different. To make dipping easier, carefully remove the lobster meat from the shell and cut it into bite-size pieces, then return it to the shell for serving.

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New England Lobster Dip

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Food & Wine culinary director at large Justin Chapple transforms the ingredients of a classic lobster roll into a genius dip. We like it best scooped up with crunchy kettle-cooked potato chips, but toasted slices of brioche are just as delicious.

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Lobster and Corn Fritters

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These crisp, light fritters taste like nothing but fresh lobster and sweet corn — making for a delicious hors d'oeuvre that's ideal paired with sparkling wine or perfect for any co*cktail hour.

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Steamed Lobster and Corn for a Crowd

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When making this recipe, keep in mind that lobsters are about 30% meat by weight, so go for the slightly larger one-and-a-half-pounders and plan for about two lobsters per person. Look for lobsters from Maine, which are harvested sustainably.

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Lobster Bisque

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Lobster shells from the tail, claws, knuckles, and legs are full of flavor and, when very gently simmered in water, yield a clean-tasting, briny stock. Seasoned with mirepoix, sherry, and herbs, this classic bisque is thickened with fragrant jasmine rice. Serve it hot or cold for a knockout lunch or simple supper.

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Maine-Style Lobster Rolls

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Former F&W senior food editor Mary-Frances Heck refers to these lobster rolls as "knuckle sandwiches" because they showcase the knuckles — the segments that connect the claws to the carapace — which are the sweetest, most tender meat on a lobster. Dressed simply with mayo, the cold salad sits in a hot buttered bun. Her tip for tackling the admittedly tedious work of cracking the shells? Do it with a friend and a cold beer.

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Grilled Lobster Tails with Stelline and Lemon

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"Paired with smoky grilled lemon halves, the lobster is exceptionally delicious over small, pebbly pasta like stelline (star-shaped pasta typically served in broths), which provides a tender contrast that's fun to eat and soaks up the buttery juices," cookbook author Paula Disbrowe says.

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Pan-Roasted Lobster with Chive Beurre Blanc

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"Be sure to serve the lobsters on a warmed large platter so the beurre blanc stays hot," says Mary-Frances Heck. "I love to line the platter with hot cooked linguine before topping it with the roasted lobsters and lemony sauce. While you could certainly opt for crusty bread or hot jasmine rice alongside, the pasta soaks up some of the sauce and makes for a decadent second course once all the lobsters have been eaten."

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Lobster BLTs on Potato Rolls

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These next-level BLTs combine tender, sweet lobster meat with smoky, salty bacon, juicy tomatoes, and pillowy potato buns, lightly toasted in bacon drippings.

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Auntie Monica's Seafood Mac and Cheese

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Loaded with fresh shrimp, crab, and lobster and layered with a rich mixture of cheeses, this macaroni and cheese gets an extra boost of spice from liquid shrimp-and-crab boil. The boil seasoning lends its long-cooked flavor to the casserole without overcooking the delicate seafood.

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Lobster Thermidor

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This classic lobster thermidor stuffs gently cooked lobster meat back in its shell with a wine-based sauce and a touch of cheese before it goes under the broiler. The natural sweetness of lobster still shines through the rich, but not heavy, cremini mushroom and dry sherry-laced cream sauce. A touch of cayenne adds warmth, not spice, that brightens the whole dish, while Parmesan cheese gets bubbly and brown under the broiler to finish each impressive stuffed lobster tail.

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Lobster Risotto

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A small pinch of saffron goes a long way in imparting a vibrant golden hue and floral fragrance to this creamy lobster risotto. Pre-cooked lobster and bottled clam juice deliver robust layers of flavor with a minimal amount of effort, making this an ideal weeknight supper. Try pairing it with a bottle of white Bordeaux.

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Lobster Frites

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Sommelier Derrick Westbrook turns the classic moules frites into one showstopping meal by replacing the mussels with garlic-butter drenched lobster. The double-fry method ensures that the fries will be perfectly cooked — creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside. The first fry will cook them through, and the second will turn the outside brown and crisp. Adding Old Bay to the aïoli is a genius move. Serve the meal with a bright, crisp, minerally Chablis.

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Lobster Tournedos with Cornbread

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This recipe combines classic French cooking techniques with Southern ingredients, a signature of chef Erick Williams' cooking at Virtue in Chicago. The mild sweetness of the lobster meat and cornbread is intensified with the buttery, tart wine sauce, turning this into a decadent meal perfect for a special occasion.

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Green Curry Lobster Stew with Sweet Potato and Mushrooms

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"Lobster stew is one of the pillars of Maine cooking," according to chefs Mike Wiley and Andrew Taylor, of Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland, Maine. For this green curry–laced version, they took cues from tom kha, a coconut milk–based Thai soup, and enriched it with umami-heavy Golden Mountain sauce and mushroom confit to create a richly aromatic lobster stew. Sweet potato, curry paste, heavy cream, and coconut milk come together in a well-balanced broth that highlights the lobster's sweetness.

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Turmeric-Poached Eggs with Chive Biscuits and Lobster Gravy

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This decadent brunch dish is reminiscent of crawfish étouffée, but with the West Coast vibes found all over the menu at chef Brooke Williamson's beachside restaurant complex, Playa Provisions. Lobster lends the gravy rich flavor, while the turmeric eggs add a sunny pop of color. Prepare the lobster gravy the day beforehand and reheat it gently to make brunch an easier lift.

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Jerk-Grilled Lobster

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After trying every item that can be basted or drizzled in the flavors of jerk, from shrimp to chicken to whole fish and even co*cktails, hands down Gail Simmons' favorite incarnation is lobster, where the jerk paste is stirred into butter and used to baste the crustacean while it cooks over the flames. Her streamlined version is one that you can make all year round, but grilling the lobsters outside, beer in hand, is always encouraged.

20 Dreamy Lobster Recipes to Learn (2024)

FAQs

How to cook 12 lobsters? ›

If you are cooking a lot of lobsters you'll either need to cook them in stages or have more than one pot of water boiling.
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil: ...
  2. Lower the lobsters into the pot: ...
  3. Boil lobsters for 7 to 14 mins, depending on size: ...
  4. Remove the lobsters from pot to drain:

What is a famous lobster dish? ›

What Is Lobster Thermidor? Lobster thermidor is a French dish consisting of diced lobster meat stuffed into a lobster shell, topped with a buttery wine sauce, sprinkled with cheese, and broiled. The iconic dish gets its name from a popular 1891 play called Thermidor by Victorien Sardou.

Is it better to boil or bake lobster tails? ›

Boiling lobster tails is a great choice because if stored and thawed your lobster tails properly, this is the cooking technique we recommend to minimize your tails sticking to the shell! Boiling is always a safe bet and if you are a first-timer or old-timer, this is the technique you can count on.

What is the tastiest way to cook lobster? ›

Many people consider broiling lobster tails a fast and foolproof way to enjoy delicious lobster every time. Simply broil butterflied and seasoned lobster tails on high until the shells turn bright orange and the flesh is opaque.

How to cook 15 lobsters? ›

Put 1/2″ of water, a tablespoon of salt and a tablespoon of vinegar in the pot and bring to a boil. Put the live lobsters in the pot, cover and steam for 15 minutes for a 1-pound lobster. Add 5 minutes for each extra pound.

How many lobsters can you boil at once? ›

A 19-quart pot will cook about 5-6 lobsters. The pot does not have to be heavy duty as water will actually boil faster in a lighter gauge metal pot. If you have never handled live lobster before, keep the bands on! Carefully remove them before cooking.

What is poor man's lobster called? ›

Monkfish is groundfish, meaning it swims and feeds along the bottom of the ocean. It's known to some as "the poor man's lobster" because of its firm, sweet, and delicious taste similar to lobster tails, and to some as "all mouth", because most of the fish is taken up by the head and most of the head is mouth.

What did slaves eat lobster? ›

Lobsters were considered the “poor man's chicken” and primarily used for fertilizer or fed to prisoners and slaves. Some indentures servants even revolted against being forced to eat the meat and the colony agreed that they would not be fed lobster meat more than three times a week.

What is the tastiest lobster? ›

While warm water lobsters have their own unique qualities and are enjoyed by locals in various regions, Maine lobsters remain unrivaled in their size, meatiness, and flavor. Their cold-water environment gives them a distinctive taste and texture that has made them a beloved delicacy around the world.

Do you clean lobster tails before boiling? ›

After you have thawed your lobster tails you will need to clean them. Regardless of how you cut your lobster tails and how you decide how to cook lobster tails, the cleaning method will be the same.

Do I cut lobster tail before boiling? ›

Use shears or a knife to cut the lobster tail lengthwise along the middle. You should cut the lobster all the way back to the very tip of the fin. Try to avoid cutting into the meat, so that it does not break apart during the boiling.

How do you cook lobster tails without them getting tough? ›

Overcooking lobster tails will result in tough, chewy meat, so be sure to keep a close eye on the tails as they cook. As soon as the shell transforms into that classic fire truck red hue and the meat is opaque, pull it from the water and don't look back.

Why is my lobster so tough? ›

The issue we see again and again is the recommended cooking times are often too long. Overcooked lobster will be tough and chewy no matter if you steam or boil them. When in doubt, use a meat thermometer to help you ensure you're not overcooking those large lobsters.

What is the healthiest way to eat lobster? ›

“In the context of an overall healthy diet, dietary cholesterol is not strongly related to an increase in blood cholesterol or heart disease.” Healthy ways to serve lobster include steaming it with a spicy vinaigrette or grilling it with lemon and herbs.

How to cook multiple lobsters at once? ›

Add lobsters to boiling water and cover with a tightly fitting lid. You can add in as many lobster as your pot will allow, just make sure the cover of the pot is sealed tightly. How long to steam a lobster: A good timing gauge for steaming lobster is to cook them for about 10 minutes per pound of lobster.

How to cook 10 lobsters? ›

Instructions
  1. Fill a large pot with 3-4 inches of water. ...
  2. Grasping the lobsters by the body, add the lobsters to the pot headfirst and cover the pot.
  3. Boil or steam the lobsters for 10-20 minutes depending on the weight of the lobsters. ...
  4. Using tongs, remove the lobsters from the pot and place on a platter to drain and cool.
Nov 19, 2023

How long to boil 12 lobster tails? ›

Bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and keep water at a gentle boil — stronger than a simmer, but weaker than a rolling boil. Add lobster tails, and boil until they are bright red and their meat turns white and tender. Each tail should take about 1 minute per ounce to cook.

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