Grilled Lobsters with Lemon Basil Butter
- Kosher salt
- Two 1 1/2-pound live soft-shell lobsters (see note)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- Bring a large stockpot of water to a rolling boil.
- Add a generous handful of kosher salt, and add the lobsters.
- Boil for about 6 minutes, until the lobsters are beginning to turn red.
- Remove the lobsters from the water with tongs, and reserve until cool enough to handle.
- (We par-cook our lobsters before grilling, so they can cook evenly and all the way through.)
- Preheat a charcoal grill to medium heat.
- Once the lobsters have cooled, use a pair of kitchen shears or a very sharp knife to split each lobster completely in half through the entire shell and flesh, starting from the tail end and working your way through the body.
- It will be easiest to use your chefs knife to split the thickest part of the lobster.
- Give the claws a whack with the back of your knife to break open a portion of the shell.
- This will allow the meat to be exposed to the smokiness and heat of the grill.
- Once theyre halved, use a spoon to scoop out and discard the tomalley from each half (the green gunkthe stomach and intestinal tract).
- Brush the exposed lobster meat with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- Grill the lobster halves, exposed meat side down on the grill, for 4 minutes, until theyre lightly charred and the meat is opaque and cooked through.
- Remove the lobster pieces to a platter.
- Mix the hot melted butter with the garlic, lemon zest, basil, salt, and pepper.
- Drizzle the butter over the tails, and serve remaining butter on the side.
- When buying live lobsters, look for lively guys who will curl their tails and wiggle when you pick them up.
- Splitting the lobsters before grilling may seem like a hassle, but it makes it easier to eat so you have more time to enjoy each other, rather than wrestle with your food!
- We like to use charcoal in this recipe, because the lobster will only be on the grill for a short period of time and the charcoal adds just enough of that smoky flavor.
- Soft shells are easier to split in half, but if all you can find are hard-shell lobsters, use a sharp chefs knife to split their bodiesand be careful!
kosher salt, lobsters, olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, butter, garlic, lemon, fresh basil
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/grilled-lobsters-with-lemon-basil-butter-384073 (may not work)