How to Sous Vide Lobster Tail?

Lobsters are a kind of sea crustaceans that are one of the most delicious kinds of seafood in the world. 

You will love to try a lobster if you have never tasted it before. If you want to serve a lobster, then you must first choose the right kind of cooking method.

You can cook it in many ways like frying, baking, grilling, boiling, poaching, steaming, etc. 

But if you want to enjoy a lobster’s flavor and experience it completely then you must go for sous vide cooking. 

Sous vide is a technique used for cooking food by immersing it in a vacuum bag and cooking it in the water bath at a specific temperature.

So, in this post, we are going to discuss how to sous vide lobster tail.

What is sous vide?

Sous vide (French for under vacuum) is a method of cooking food at a controlled temperature. 

In this method, food is placed in a plastic bag and then vacuum sealed and cooked in a water bath at a constant temperature for a certain period. 

The process of sealing the food in plastic bags and placing them in water is called “sous-vide”, or “under vacuum”.

The best part of this method is that it preserves the flavor of the food. By using sous vide cooking, you will get a delicious taste that is not available otherwise.

Why sous-vide lobster tails?

sous-vide-lobster-tail

If anything is finicky to cook, it is probably the best for sous vide. This formula applies to lobsters. 

If you overcook lobster tails they will be rubbery, squishy, and all-around terrible. If you undercook them, ew… I can’t even think of what it would be like. 

This results in attempting to cook them longer, making the texture weird and likely overcooking them anyways. That’s not the case with sous vide. 

The water bath is the exact temperature you want your lobster tails to come to, so it is impossible to overcook or undercook them.

Considerations when buying a lobster tail

  • The lobster tails should be fresh. Look for terms like day boat on the packaging.
  • It’s okay to keep them frozen if they’ve been frozen, but try to find language that says they’ve only been frozen once and don’t “refreeze” them yourself.
  • Coldwater lobster tails are usually higher quality than warm water lobster tails but don’t sweat them if you can afford them.

Things you need

Ingredients you need

  • 2-4 lobster tails
  • Kosher salt
  • 8 tbsp butter – divided
  • 4 garlic cloves – minced
  • 1/2 lemon – for sauce
  • Chopped parsley – for garnish
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges – for serving

Steps to follow

  • Preheat the water to your desired temperature. Here we used 135 degrees F temperature.
  • The meat needs to be removed from the tail. Kitchen shears can be used to cut through the middle of the lobster tail, which is soft and relatively easy to cut through. On the sides of the shell, make sure that the soft part of the shell is in contact with the hard part. The underside of the tail is where you want to peel it off. The hard part of the shell should be loosened by moving your fingers between it and the meat. The meat should be removed gently.
  • Now season the lobster tail with kosher salt.
  • The lobster meat needs to be placed in a bag. Now add butter to each lobster and make sure that the butter should be evenly distributed through the bag with the lobster tails. I like to use a handheld vacuum seal bag for lobster because it’s more gentle than a standard vacuum bag and you can control the suction. You can also use the water displacement method by using a zip lock bag.
  • Now add the bag to the water bath. Make sure to keep the zip of the bag above the water. Cook for 45 minutes.
  • You can prepare garlic butter sauce while the lobster is cooking. For this, melt 4 tbsp butter in a saucepan. Add the garlic, and cook until it turns brown. Remove from the saucepan from the heat, and squeeze the lemon juice into the sauce. Add 1 tbsp of chopped parsley.
  • Remove the lobster from the bag when cooking. Serve with the dipping sauce. Garnish the lobster tail with additional parsley. You can serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over the lobster tail. Enjoy.

Temperature and Time

130 degrees F45 minutesThe lobster produced by this will be more tender than the lobster you would get at a restaurant.
135 degrees F45 minutesThe temperature is still tender, but not as soft as it would be with traditional methods.
140 degrees F45 minutesLobster with “traditional”, old-fashioned texture.

How to remove meat from the lobster tail?

  • Kitchen shears can be used to cut through the middle of the lobster tail, which is soft and relatively easy to cut through.
  • On the sides of the shell, make sure that the soft part of the shell is in contact with the hard part.
  • The underside of the tail is where you want to peel it off.
  • The hard part of the shell should be loosened by moving your fingers between it and the meat. The meat should be removed gently.

FAQ

How Long Does it Take to Sous Vide Lobster?

It takes about 4 hours to cook 1 lobster. You can also prepare other seafood such as salmon, shrimp, or fish filets. 

Sous vide method requires no oil or seasonings and makes everything come out perfectly. 

The best part is the temperature is controlled throughout the entire cooking process, making the food come out very moist and flavorful.

Can I Sous Vide Frozen Lobster Tails?

Yes! The key with frozen lobster tails is not to overcook them or they will be tough!

Conclusion

I hope you loved this recipe. If you tried this recipe at your home please don’t forget to share your comments here.

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