Impressive as they are, lobster tails of that magnitude are few and far between, so we’re sticking with the readily available (yet equally impressive!) extra-large lobster tails for this recipe. If your lobster tails happen to be a few ounces under or a few ounces over, that’s just fine. Just adjust your lobster tail cook time accordingly. Cooking lobster tails is nothing to shy away from, let us show you just how simple it is!

Recipe for Perfectly Cooked Extra-Large Lobster Tails

Ingredients

For Cooking Lobster Tails: 

• 2 extra-large lobster tails, 10-12 ounces each
• 4-6 sprigs of fresh herbs (such as tarragon, parsley, or thyme)
• ½ cup dry white wine (or seafood stock, or water)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• salt, to taste

For Serving Lobster Tails

• melted butter (and plenty of it!)
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉.
2. First things first, let’s prepare those gorgeous lobster tails! Start by placing the lobster tails on a cutting board in front of you, with the top shell facing up. Starting from the meaty end (where it was connected to the body of the lobster), use kitchen shears to make a long cut down the length of the top shell, stopping once you get to the tail fin. The tail fin as well as the shell on the underside should remain completely intact. Using your hands, gently spread the two halves of the top shell apart and loosen the lobster meat from the sides of the shell. Do not detach the lobster meat fully but lift it up through the split shell so that it rests atop the outer shell. 

Note: This method of preparation is known as “piggyback” and encourages the lobster tails to cook evenly as well as makes for a lovely presentation!

1. Arrange the herb sprigs in two piles in the center of an oven-safe baking dish or pan. Place 1 lobster tail atop each pile of herbs and then pour the wine, stock, or water into the pan surrounding the lobster tails.
2. Brush the lobster meat with the melted butter and season lightly with salt. 
3. Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake until the lobster meat is just cooked through, about 12-15 minutes. The meat should be no longer translucent, opaque all the way through, and reach 140℉ on an instant read thermometer.
4. Remove the lobster tails from the oven and serve immediately with additional melted butter for dipping and the lemon wedges for squeezing!