Steamed Lobster Tails

Pin It My husband and I love a good lobster tail, but it isn't exactly in our budget to go out for seafood all the of the time.  One of Albert's good friends' moms is an amazing cook and she shared this recipe with us so we could make lobster at home.  I had always thought that lobster would be scary to cook and definitely too hard to do at home, but I was mistaken.  Anyone can make lobster in their home with minimal cooking experience or fancy supplies.  The only necessary cooking item that you need is a broiler pan. 

Steamed Lobster Tails
2 lobster tails
1 lemon, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 packet of seafood and crab boil seasoning (I used McCormick's)
2 T Old Bay Seasoning
Melted Butter for dipping

1. Fill bottom of broiler pan with 1/2 inch of water.
2. Arrange lemons and onions in a single lyer inthe water.  Sprinkle with seafood seasoning packet and Old Bay.
3. Put grate on top of broiler pan.  Lay lobster tails across the openings of the grate.
4. Cover tightly with foil.  You want all of the sides to be sealed so it creates a steamer effect.
5. Place broiler pan over 2 burners on your stove.  Turn heat to medium high.
6. When you can see steam, set your timer for 8 minutes.  DO NOT PEEK!  It will ruin the steam effect.  It is ok if some of the liquid escapes out of the sides.  It is easy to clean up.
7. When timer goes off, turn off burners and let lobster cool for a few minutes, until steam slows so you don't burn yourself. 
8. Carefully uncover.
9. Serve with melted butter for dipping.


Broiler pan over 2 burners






Fool Proof Shrimp Boil

Pin It My friends and I have a dinner club once a month.  Last month the host made a down home shrimp boil in her tiny apartment kitchen.  I had always shied away from this East Coast staple because of the amount of food it makes and the multitude of ingredients I was convinced I would need.  However, after our delicious meal at dinner club, I was inspired to make a mini shrimp boil at my house.  This version serves 4, but could easily be halved or doubled to fit your crowd.  (I would recommend making more than you need because the leftovers are quite delicious).  I call this recipe fool proof because you only need 1 large pot and you keep adding ingredients to the pot at different times.  I don't think the outcome would be any different if you accidentally added an ingredient at the wrong time or if you overcooked the whole meal.  It would still taste wonderful.  You would have to try really hard to mess this one up!
I cannot take full responsibility for this recipe.  It is adapted from the original Old Bay Shrimp Boil.

Fool Proof Shrimp Boil
1/4 cup Old Bay seasoning
2 onions, chopped into wedges
1 tsp salt
1 can of beer
4 medium sized red potatoes, cut into chunks
1 lb smoked sausage, cut into 2 inch sections
2 ears of corn, broke in half
1 lb shrimp with shells

1. In a large stock pot, bring 2 quarts of water, beer, salt and Old Bay to a boil.
2. Add onions and potatoes and cook for 8 minutes.
3. Add sausage and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add corn and cook for 7 minutes.
5. Add shrimp and cook until pink (about 5 mintues).
6l Remove from heat and spoon into bowls.  I like to serve mine with a little of the cooking liquid and a sprinkle of Old Bay.  Also delicious with a slice of warm cornbread.

I stored my leftovers in the fridge with the container about half way filled with cooking liquid so the leftovers would not dry out when reheated.  It was just as delicious for lunch as it was the night before.