Gordon Ramsay’s lobster tail is butterflied, brushed with a chilli, garlic and parsley butter, and griddled until the sweet meat just turns opaque. The butter melts right into the flesh, and from shell to plate the whole thing takes about 25 minutes.
The butter comes straight from his Ultimate Home Cooking. He says lobster is too much of a luxury to overcomplicate. A chilli-spiked garlic butter is all it needs to bring out the natural sweetness.
The trick is a screaming hot pan and the flesh side down first, so the butter caramelises and the shell turns sweet and smoky. That char is what separates his lobster from a plain boiled tail. Boiling a tail just makes it watery.
Gordon Ramsay’s Lobster Tail
Course: DinnerCuisine: British, AmericanDifficulty: Easy2
15
minutes8
minutes380
kcal25
minutesGordon’s grilled lobster, scaled down to tails for an easy home version. His chilli, garlic and parsley butter does all the work, with the exact amounts from his cookbook. Serves 2.
Ingredients
- For the lobster:
2 lobster tails (about 150-200g each), thawed if frozen
Lemon wedges, to serve
- For the chilli, garlic and parsley butter:
75g butter, softened
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Make the butter: Bash the chilli, a pinch of salt, the garlic and the parsley to a rough paste in a mortar. Mix in the softened butter and set aside.
- Butterfly the tails: Cut down the top of each shell with kitchen scissors, stopping at the fin. Gently lift the meat to sit on top of the shell, keeping it attached at the base.
- Butter them: Spread the flavoured butter generously over the lobster meat, then cover and chill for 10 to 20 minutes so it firms up.
- Griddle: Heat a griddle pan until very hot. Lay the tails flesh side down and char for 3 to 4 minutes, then turn and cook 2 minutes more, until the flesh is opaque throughout.
- Serve: Spoon over any buttery pan juices and serve with lemon wedges.
FAQs
How do you stop lobster tail going rubbery?
Heat and timing, nothing else. Lobster is mostly water and cooks in a couple of minutes, so the moment the flesh turns from translucent to opaque, it is done.
The clone recipes telling you to cook it for an exact number of minutes are guessing. Watch the meat, not the clock, and pull it early, because it keeps cooking in its own heat off the pan.
How does Gordon flavour his lobster tail?
With a chilli, garlic and parsley butter, bashed in a mortar so the oils release into the butter. The chilli brings a gentle heat, the parsley keeps it fresh, and the butter carries both into the meat.
Deseed the chilli if you want it milder, or leave the seeds in for more kick. You can make the butter a day ahead and keep it in the fridge, which actually deepens the flavour.
Should you grill or bake a lobster tail?
Gordon griddles his, flesh side down, for a light char that caramelises the butter. A hot grill, the broiler if you are in the States, does the same job in 5 to 6 minutes.
Baking is gentler but you lose that char, so I would only bake when cooking for a crowd. For a softer, more delicate finish, his butter-poached lobster is the other route he uses.
Do you need to butterfly a lobster tail?
It is worth it. Lifting the meat up onto the shell means it cooks evenly and the butter reaches every part. Otherwise the meat steams, hidden inside the shell.
The one rule is to cut only through the shell, never the meat underneath, or the tail falls apart as it cooks. Keep it joined at the base so it holds its shape.
What do you serve with lobster tail?
Lemon and the buttery juices are enough on a plate, but it makes a real meal next to his lobster risotto. Save the shells, because they make the base for his lobster bisque.
If you bought extra and have spare meat, it is the perfect filling for his lobster ravioli. Lobster rewards using every last scrap.
