Baked Jumbo Lobster Tail

On April 29, 2020January 5, 2022 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Recipes6 Comments

We recently celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary and since we weren’t able to go to a restaurant for dinner, we decided to celebrate with a nice dinner at home. We decided to get some fresh lobster in order to have an elegant seafood dinner. There are several ways to prepare lobster tails and all of them create a tasty meal, but we chose to bake the lobster tail because of the presentation. We ordered our lobster tails from a company in Maine that ships them overnight and allows you to pick the size of your lobster tail. The lobster tails that we selected were between 12 and 14 ounces, which definitely made for a hearty meal. In fact, even though we ordered two tails and this recipe is for two tails, we only cooked one because it would have been too much for the two of us to eat. Regardless of the size of your tail, butterflying them and then baking them not only makes them more attractive but also helps the meat cook more evenly. We’d highly suggest that you try this method if you get a chance to cook fresh lobster tails. We served our lobster tails with a lobster bisque and crab cakes with a roumelade sauce.

INGREDIENTS

2 Fresh Lobster Tails (12 to 14 oz each) – thawed
12 tbsp Unsalted Butter
1/2 Lemon – cut into wedges
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika

Butterflied and Cleaned Jumbo Lobster Tail

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Butterfly the lobster by cutting the upper shell down the center with a pair of cooking shears, being sure to leave the tail in tact. Take a knife and cut into the meat about half way through along the slit where the tail has been cut. This will allow the meat to open up as it cooks. Next, use your fingers to separate the meat from the shell by sliding your fingers between the meat and the shell. Be careful not to cut yourself on the shell or to break the shell in the process. Carefully pull the meat up through the slit, leaving it attached to the tail, so that it sits on top of the shell. Rinse the lobster tail and remove any veins or tomalley. Place the lobster tails into a baking dish with about a half-inch of water, this will allow the shell to steam and turn red and also help to keep the lobster moist. Spread 2 tablespoons of butter over the meat of each of the lobster tails, which will also help to keep the meat moist while it bakes as well as add flavor. Place the lobster into the oven and bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 140 degrees at the thickest part of the meat (about 18 to 25 minutes). It is important to use a thermometer to ensure that the lobster is fully cooked as well as to not overcook the lobster, which will make the meat tough. While the lobster is baking, melt the remaining 8 ounces of butter and use a spoon to remove any sediment to create a clarified butter. When the lobster is done, remove it from the oven, sprinkle it with the paprika and serve with the clarified butter, lemon wedges, and sides of your choice.

Rack of Lamb

On April 22, 2020 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Recipes12 Comments

Lamb is one those ingredients that is quite common around the world and can be used in a variety of dishes. Rack of lamb makes for an elegant presentation and is very tasty if cooked properly. One of the keys to cooking a successful lamb is to make sure that you don’t undercook or overcook the meat. Having an instant-read thermometer handy is a key to making sure that you cook the lamb to a medium temperature with a pink interior. Lamb can also be a little gamey, so using a flavorful rub is a way to make the flavor a little more mild. We really enjoyed this as a wonderful weekend dinner.

INGREDIENTS

Rack of Lamb – frenched
3/4 tbsp Kosher Salt
1 tbsp Dried Rosemary
2 cloves Roasted Garlic (or 1 clove Garlic)
1/8 cup Dijon Mustard
1/8 cup Stone Ground Mustard
1/2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 tbsp Olive Oil

INSTRUCTIONS

In a small food processor, combine the salt, rosemary, garlic, Dijon mustard, ground mustard, balsamic vinegar and pulse to form a thick paste. Preheat an oven to 450 degrees. Rub the fat-side of the lamb with the mustard and herb paste, spreading it evenly across the lamb. Let the lamb sit at room temperature with the rub for about 30 minutes. Place the lamb in a cast-iron skillet or roasting pat with the olive oil, bone-side down, and cook until the internal temperature reaches about 135 to 140 degrees. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut into either double chops (2 bones per chop) or single chops and serve.

Taking a Cooking Class in Hanoi, Vietnam

On December 11, 2019 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Recipes, Vietnam2 Comments

One of our favorite memories of our recent trip to Vietnam was taking a cooking class in Hanoi. This was a true cooking class, not a demonstration, where we purchased the food from a local market, prepped all of the ingredients, and did the cooking ourselves with our chef’s instruction. There were only five of us in the class, making it very intimate and interactive. We created a four course meal, which we enjoyed eating family-style after cooking everything.

Cooking Pork Meatballs and Barbequed Pork

After buying our ingredients, we went to a local house to prepare our meal. Our dinner included Banana Flower Salad (Nộm Hoa Chuối), which we made from banana leaves, a variety of vegetables, and sautéed beef. Our entrée was Vietnamese Grilled Pork With Rice Vermicelli Noodles (Bún Chả), which originated in Hanoi is a famous dish in the region. We made it with both pork meatballs as well as barbequed pork. To accompany the Bún Chả, we made Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls (Nem Rán), which are often served as an appetizer as well. For our dessert, we made Vietnamese Egg Coffee (Café Trứng), which is rich and delicious and is made with egg and condensed milk.

It took about five hours to do our shopping, prepping, and cooking, so we were quite hungry by the time our meal was actually ready. The class is offered in both the morning to create lunch or in the afternoon to create dinner, but we chose to do the dinner class and were glad that we did. Our chef was extremely knowledgeable and shared stories with us while we prepared our meal. It is an experience that we would highly recommend to anyone who visits Hanoi. After completing the class, the chef sent us all of the recipes that we made as well as others, which we are looking forward to cooking and sharing in the near future.