We are all about sharing simple and fun pairings and recipes to help you create your own food and wine memories. With Cupid’s day just around the corner, perhaps you are looking to create a fancy plate that will impress someone near and dear to your heart during your special at-home date night. There is no better way to reminisce about warmer days, amid the cool winter months, than with a gorgeous array of fresh grilled seafood. While you are unable to travel to your favorite Napa and Sonoma wineries, this recipe will help you reignite your zest for the finer things in life.
This month’s recipe is herby, garlic butter lobster tails, freshly cracked and thrown on a flaming hot grill. Between California, Maine and New Hampshire, lobster can be found year–round. In California, lobster is still being harvested during the winter and early spring months. So if you want something a little exotic to entice your special someone, this quick 20 minute meal idea is perfect for you!
TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes SERVES: 1-2 tails per person
GATHER THESE INGREDIENTS
- Lobster tails, fresh/thawed and rinsed with cold water
- ½ cup (1 stick) of butter, salted
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
- ½ teaspoon paprika, smoked for added flavor depth
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- Fresh herbs – rosemary, parsley, thyme (at least 1 tablespoon of each)
You may use other herbs of your choice but must be “hearty” to stand up to broiling (tarragon, chives); avoid delicate herbs like basil
Butterfly the Lobsters
- Using strong kitchen scissors, cut down the middle of the shell from open end toward the fanned tip of the tail; ending where the tail begins to fan out.
- Carefully open the shell like a pair of double doors exposing the lobster meat.
- Gently get your fingers under the meat and pull up and lay over the shell; fanning the meat outward and bringing the shells sides back together under the lobster meat.
Tip: If this is your first time butterflying lobsters, search on YouTube for a little how-to video.
Prep the Butter
- Melt butter in a heat safe container in the microwave for 10 second bursts until fully melted.
- Chop your herbs and add to melted butter.
- Add minced garlic to melted butter.
- Add salt, pepper and paprika; stir butter mixture.
- Divide your mixture; reserve about 1/3 for the last step.
Prep the Lobster Tails and Broil
- Preheat your oven to broil, placing your top rack so the heat source is about 2” from lobster meat.
- On a baking sheet (lined with foil if you prefer), lay out your butterflied lobster tails.
- Brush the butter, herb mixture over the lobster meat (remember to keep 1/3 in a separate container for final basting/dipping).
- Broil for about 5 minutes and remove from oven to check temperature and baste again with more butter, herb mixture.
- Return to oven and stay close. Bake for additional 2-3 minutes or until internal temperature is at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove lobster tails from oven and brush with reserved butter mixture. Any reserved butter mixture can be served at the table for extra dipping (only for the uber-butter lovers).
** Lobster tails can also be grilled over med-high heat; times may vary depending on your grill – just make sure your temperature is near 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Plate your lobster tails along with a few wedges of fresh lemon. Enjoy your fancy, at-home date night.
Choosing an Elegant Wine Pairing
It’s also time to crack open something else. Consider complimenting your lobster tails with something clean and crisp. Contrast the yummy, buttery flavor of lobster with something dry and delicate. Many of our partnering Napa wineries and Sonoma wineries produce beautifully refreshing white wines. Seek out a light and bright style of Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc, or keep it classy with a bottle of bone-dry bubbles. Cheers!
