Consider a (Air-Fried) Lobster
The lobster is an adorable animal with an equally fascinating culinary history. Like most products that have a reputation for being decadent and expensive, it’s impossible to talk about lobsters without talking about class and capitalism.
Before the arrival of the colonialists, Native Americans not only cooked and ate lobsters, they ground them for fertilization and used them as bait to catch the more coveted fish. There were an incredible number of them. According to Culture Trip , after the storm they were washed out in huge toddler-sized heaps, which, in the eyes of the white colonialists, made them less desirable. Lobsters were considered “food for the poor”, they were stewed and baked, almost without thinking about meat, except that it is a source of protein. They were also fed to inmates as they were one of the cheapest sources of calories.
Railroads, canning and marketing changed everything, and now lobsters are the food of the rich. It must be cooked gently and carefully so that the aroma of the sweet meat shines. Eating a lobster – even just a tail – seems like a special case, but it doesn’t have to be, especially when you can buy these tails for six dollars from specialty stores at most major grocery stores. (I certainly can’t talk about every grocery chain in every region of the United States, but I regularly see lobster tails in Portland, Oregon at this price.)
All of this suggests that lobster tail is a perfectly acceptable meal on weekdays, especially if you have a deep fryer. If I can manage to find a couple of tails to sell, I’ll give them some oil and then toss them in the deep fryer, almost like an afterthought, just a few minutes before I’m going to dinner. I see them as complementary protein; Even at $ 6 a tail, I can’t afford to feed one lobster, but they can make a good addition to a pasta plate, a rice bowl filled with tofu and vegetables, or a small steak (hello surf and turf).
If you’re worried that your deep fat fryer might be too aggressive for a precious sea beetle, don’t worry. People cook lobsters all the time on insanely hot frying elements, and a small convection oven cooks them so quickly they don’t have time to dry. In fact, the air-fried lobster I ate last night was downright juicy and juicy, which is pretty impressive when you consider the lobster’s incredibly low fat content.
Aside from the lobster tails, all you need is butter, some more butter (for the dipping), and maybe some garlic for the dipping. That’s plus about six minutes of waiting, and you’ve got a nice seafood treat perfect for any old night of the week.
Air fried lobster
Ingredients:
- Lobster tails
- 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon butter for each ponytail, divided
- 1/2 garlic clove per tail, minced or crushed
Instructions:
Heat deep fryer to 375 ℉. Fold each tail, cutting the carapace at the top of the tail, stopping just in front of the tail fins. Place a tea towel around the tail (to prevent the sink from cutting your hands), then press down on the side of the lobster to “split,” exposing the meat.
Take about half a teaspoon of butter and rub it over the exposed meat. Toss the tails into a deep fryer and cook for 6-9 minutes, depending on the size of the tail, until the meat is opaque and white. While it’s cooking, melt the butter in a small saucepan on the stove, add the garlic and cook until the garlic is flavorful, but before the oil or garlic is browned.
When the tails are done and the butter is done, remove the meat from the tail (pry it gently with your fingers) and serve over the bright red shells. Dip in butter. Repeat every time you see these tails on sale.