Lobster? Has anyone roasted one/many?

[ksm]

We're needing to cook lobster for 12 next weekend (we live in NE, so while lobster aren't cheap, they aren't outrageously expensive either). I'm not sure I can boil that many in pots on my inside stove. So we got to wondering about roasting lobsters -- or some other process -- using the WFO. Has anyone tried this? Has anyone been successful?

I found a couple of recipes online. But if someone has actual experience (is that like "actual miles"!?!), that would be great, because it would be a shame to not treat the lobsters properly.

This first one is from Jasper White. Since it talks about getting a regular oven as hot as possible, that sounds like a WFO might be perfect, since getting the 500 degree heat would be a snap.
Summer Shack?s Famous Pan Roasted Lobster | Steamy Kitchen Recipes

This second one specifically suggests a WFO -- again, it seems like 500 degrees is the optimal temperature.
Woodfire Roasted Lobster With Herb And Garlic Butter Recipe

This third one comes from a competitor's company, but since I'm just posting a link to the recipe, I assume that's ok.
Los Angeles Ovenworks: Wood Fired Recipes: Wood-Roasted Lobster

Thanks in advance.

Kathy

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: Lobster? Has anyone roasted one/many?

If it was I...I would pick up a few lobsters and do a test bake for final process. I would hate to have 12 people standing by drooling for the thought of lobster and have you serve them rubber bands in a lobster shell.

The bake times feel long to me in those recipes especially for 1-1/2 pound lobsters (hens) if I remember correctly. Nothing worse then a tough dried out lobster.

Let us know what you work out.

P.S. I went to high school in Newport have not been back since. Perhaps one day

Faith

[ksm]

Re: Lobster? Has anyone roasted one/many?

Faith,

Good thinking. How sad to be forced to do a lobster test run! Ah, the sacrifices we make to the WFO gods -- or is it goddesses?!

In any case, an excellent point.

Funny that you went to HS in Newport. We moved up here 14 years ago from Virginia! Though both of us grew up in the Midwest, we lived in Virginia for 30 years: Williamsburg, Newport News & Poquoson. Where are you?

Kathy

[brickie in oz]

Re: Lobster? Has anyone roasted one/many?

Correct me if Im wrong, but dont you drop crustaceans into boiling water live to cook them, how are you going to convince them to stay in a hot oven?

[ksm]

Re: Lobster? Has anyone roasted one/many?

ROFLOL!!Just like the scene from Annie Hall (a Woody Allen movie from way back). I have this metal image of lobsters fleeing from the mouth of a blazing WFO! Thanks for the good morning laugh.

Actually, all the recipes start by saying something such as, "slice the lobsters in half lengthwise; this will kill them instantly" -- well, yeah!

"Lobster assassin!" is one of the comments to one of the recipes. Another suggests freezing the lobsters for a few minutes or putting them in an ice water bath first to numb them. Since, up here at least, they are cold water creatures, I don't know how well this would work -- but here's a video that suggests that's the way to go:
Video: How to Kill a Lobster - FineCooking.com

Enough to make one a vegetarian.

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: Lobster? Has anyone roasted one/many?

LOL AL,

Yes boiling lobsters is only one way to cook them. Another way is to put them in the freezer to give them sleepy time then you cut them length wise while still alive then you can grill them or pan cook them in ways such as butter poaching.

Lobster ...not so easy to get in my area but I think I will get some and give it a go myself.

So when is your party Kathy not this weekend but next? I'm over near Blacksburg must say I do miss the ocean.

[DrakeRemoray]

Re: Lobster? Has anyone roasted one/many?

I can link to my lobster snuff film. I would keep a fire going and pan roast them...good luck.

[ksm]

Re: Lobster? Has anyone roasted one/many?

Re: The lobster snuff film. Don't know if I can do that. Good thing that lobsters, like fish, don't scream! But if we are going to eat creatures, I guess we should be honest about how they get to our plates. Do you find it's better with the lobster shell-side up? Another video suggested shell-side down, but other sources agree with you.

Faith: Blacksburg: what a beautiful area. My college roommate went to grad school at Va Tech. I always enjoyed the visits in the mountains there. And, yes, the event is next weekend (Aug 13), so we have this weekend to practice.

All this gives new meaning to the term "knife skills"!

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: Lobster? Has anyone roasted one/many?

I prefer the fine cooking way of doing in lobsters. I work in restaurants for years when I lived in Newport. I have heard them scream at times once in the water. Or pressure was releasing on the shell somewhere. Still creepy!!

I will try to do one myself this weekend if I can find the lobster...good reason to fire the oven anyway.

Have fun and let me know how it works out.

[cobblerdave]

Re: Lobster? Has anyone roasted one/many?

Hi All
Just put them in the freezer for 20 mins and they'll die in thier sleep..... big advantage in this is any crustation cooked after dispatching this way... they don't lose there legs or pincers in the cooking process.

regards dave

[brickie in oz]

Re: Lobster? Has anyone roasted one/many?

When still a young girl my wifes brothers told her to put yabbies in cold water and bring to the boil.

When she first did it for the two of us you could hear them all tapping on the side of the pan to get out, I was horrified .

All her brothers could do was roll around laughing.

[ksm]

Re: Lobster? Has anyone roasted one/many?

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions -- Lobster Snuff films and all! Because of rain, there I couldn't do a dry run (sorry!), so I ended up flying out to Kansas with 13 lobsters in tow hoping things would work out.

We froze the lobsters for about 20 minutes and then sliced them in half lengthwise and cleaned out the stomachs and other inner bits. A little gory, but we did the deed. Then we laid them out, meat side up, on two half-sheet pans. Basted each with garlic butter (LOTS of chopped garlic in the melted butter) and laid thin lemon slices on top. Put the pans into a 500 degree oven (measured at the floor -- the oven had already cleared and then cooled down; we left a small ring of coals around the edges). At five minutes, we rotated the pans. Five minutes more and we pulled them out.

As you can see from the picture below, the claws were a little charred, but the meat was uniformly moist - and very tasty. Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures of the cooking process.



We passed around the sauce from the Summer Shack recipe (in OP) -- only we didn't have any bourbon, so we used brandy. Also we added in the left-over butter/garlic.

We also had some freshly shucked oysters (brought from Seattle). Since folks had eaten their fill of the half-shell variety, we also cooked a couple of pans of those. Again, just fitted the half-shell oysters on a cookie sheet pan, poured a little of the Summer Shack sauce over each oyster and cooked them in the still-500 degree (floor temp) oven for about 5 minutes. Even those who prefer oysters on the half-shell said these were good.

[Spinal]

Re: Lobster? Has anyone roasted one/many?

When we lived in Africa, we would have lobster parties quite regularly.

If you can get your hands on an old oil drum (the round, 200l types) - then it's dead simple. Fill the bottom with seaweed and sea water then rest the lobsters on top (so they aren't swimming in the water, but instead resting on top of seaweed).

Rest the whole contraption on some large rocks (or a purpose made tripod stand) and light a fire underneath. As the water boils, and rises out of the seaweed it'll steam the lobsters... yummmm....

(water and salt will do just fine - and I reckon you could keep the critters out of the water with a sieve or something similar...)

M.

[TropicalCoasting]

Re: Lobster? Has anyone roasted one/many?

Ive grilled them before (broiler)
cut in half butter garlic parsley salt pepper squeeze of lemon


Seaweed technique with sea water shallow dish could work in the wfo too

[Wabbit]

Re: Lobster? Has anyone roasted one/many?

I have a turkey fryer that I use far more often for lobster. A few inches of water in the pot, load about 10-12 lobsters into the basket, top with seaweed and lower into the boiling water. Perfect!