When cooking with lobster meat, keep things simple. The star of every dish should be the mild, sweet lobster flesh.
Most important, remember the number one rule of lobster preparation: Do not overcook lobster meat! It will go from sweet and flaky to rubbery.
Lobster Roll
Lobster rolls are a great way to try out lobster preparation. Because you can make these delicious sandwiches with chopped tail meat, there’s no need to worry about cooking a whole lobster. Experts at Chowhound.com offer all the instructions you need to cook a live lobster and create a sandwich based on a light butter and herb sauce.
Another traditional lobster roll combo includes celery and mayonnaise. Food authorities with Bon Appetit offer a delicious lobster roll recipe that can be made on a good hot dog bun with day-old cooked lobster and a light dressing.
Lobster Ravioli
Ravioli is a culinary treat loaded with delicious surprises. Experts in all things delicious at Epicurious offer a lobster and crab ravioli served in a red sauce seasoned with Madeira.
For fans of cream-based sauces, check out the Food Network’s presentation of Lobster Ravioli with Crabmeat Cream Sauce from Lilly’s Gastronomia Italiana in Boston. The secret? Cognac in the cream sauce.
SEE ALSO: What To Serve With Lobster
Lobster Mac and Cheese
There are plenty of options for fans of lobster mac and cheese, and food experts at SweetPaulMag offer a succulent combination of two types of cheddar, Gruyere cheese and a bit of dijon mustard for a hearty treat.
For those who can’t handle the gluten in pasta, don’t despair!
Food authority Jefferson Adams offers a terrific option at Celiac.com Check out the Gluten-Free Lobster Mac and Cheese with Truffle Oil. This recipe offers three types of cheese and a crisp, brown gluten-free crust.
Lobster Thermidor
Julia Child was and is the authority on French cooking. However, the steps are well laid out for an amazing dish made in the finest French tradition. From fresh vegetables to steamed mushrooms to cream sauce, this dish is sure to delight.
An easier option is offered by AllRecipes.com. This dish includes all the basics including white wine and cream and adds a bit of zing with hot English mustard. Delicious and done in 40 minutes!
Lobster Stock
Lobster stock is easy to prepare and is a nice way to stretch your lobster experience and dollars. Culinary experts at The Splendid Table offer a simple recipe for a rich, red lobster stock, colored by the bright lobster shell.
This recipe offers several bonuses, including the fact that you can freeze your lobster shells up to six months before making your stock. Once your stock is cooked, you can freeze it again for another six months.
Make a stock made from roasted lobster shells and a bit of white wine. Celery, butter, tomato paste and paprika round out the flavor of this rich stock. Strain it and freeze it for soups, bisques and other seafood dishes.
Lobster Pizza
For an easy dish loaded with amazing flavor, check out the Brown Butter Lobster and Spinach Pizza with Bacon and Fontina at HalfBakedHarvest.com. Treat the bacon as a seasoning and go wild on your cheese mixture. The sweet flesh of the lobster will balance everything out.
If carbs are a concern, you can still enjoy lobster pizza and increase your cheese experience with a cauliflower pizza crust.
Lobster Pot Pie
Ina Garten’s recipe for Lobster Pot Pie on the Food Network is loaded with all the delicious creaminess that a comfort food should deliver. This dish takes a bit of work to put together and needs to bake for an hour and fifteen minutes. Save it for a cold, dreary day and enjoy the fresh summer taste of lobster!
Katie Lee at Cosmopolitan.com offers a delicious yet simple single serving pot pie recipe that can be made with puff pastry.
Lobster Bisque
Frozen lobster tails can easily be used to make this delicious, rich soup. By buying at the right time, you can reduce the cost of the basic ingredients and still enjoy lobster meat.
Lobster fans at A Sweet Pea Chef have created a delicious lobster bisque recipe that can be prepared in under an hour. This hearty recipe serves up to four people with three lobster tails, so you can use this wonderful soup as a meal!
Rachel Ray offers a hearty lobster bisque with the option for vegetable or chicken stock. If fish stock is not your favorite base, know that you can change up the flavor of this soup with a simple adjustment.
Lobster Fritters
By starting with cooked lobster meat, you can mix a simple dumpling batter of flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Vegetables can be added, including corn and onion as recommended by Food and Wine. Once mixed and deep-fried, these yummy treats can be salted and dipped in mayonnaise-based sauces.
Deep-fried lobster? Why not!
If bacon and spice appeal to you, check out the recipe offered by No Spoon Necessary for lobster fritters that offer plenty of zing, cooled by a dip in sweet honey aioli sauce.
SEE ALSO: Does Honey Go Bad?
Lobster Sauce
Lobster sauce is a luscious addition to seafood dishes. Food authorities with New York Times Cooking offer a lobster sauce based on heavy cream and chicken stock for a well-rounded flavor. This recipe also includes instructions for cooking lobster in the microwave.
Quality cooks with AllRecipes.com offer simple instructions for a lobster mornay sauce, loaded with butter, cream, parmesan cheese and mushrooms. This recipe can easily be altered to suit any available seafood.
Lobster Chowder
Lobster chowder is a hearty soup and an ideal dish on cold, raw days. Per lobster expert Dick Bridges with NewEngland.com lobster chowder intensifies if cooked the day before and allowed to cool.
Barton Seaver with Fine Cooking offers a chowder recipe rich in vegetables and featuring fennel. Fresh thyme and Madeira round out the rich flavors in this beautiful soup.
Lobster Butter
Lobster butter dipping sauce is simple to prepare and critically essential to enhance the sweet flavor of fresh steamed lobster. AllRecipes.com offers a simple butter sauce of lemon juice, garlic, butter and a bit of dried cilantro. If you hate cilantro, consider a bit of dried parsley.
If you love the taste of butter but can’t handle the lactose, consider Lenny Gale’s yeast-based dipping sauce to bring out the sweetness of lobster.
Lobster Boil
Arranging a lobster boil takes a big pot, some adventurous diners and hearty appetites. Setting up this simple layered cooking style is easy and fun. Check out the instructions at SeriousEats.com!
If possible, eat outside! Lobster is delicious, but it can be messy.
SEE ALSO: How To Eat Lobster
Final Tasty Thoughts
If the idea of cooking a whole live lobster has you a little worried (or if you just don’t have a pot that big) don’t panic.
There are plenty of lobster recipes that can be made with the meat from flash frozen tails. These are easy to locate at many grocery stores and will be easier on your budget.
Start out small with rolls or chowder so you’re not under time pressure and build your lobster expertise.
