Easy Butter Poached Sous Vide Lobster Tails (includes Thermomix method)

The most succulent and tender lobster tails cooked to perfection...

Cooking at a precise temperature means you will get the very best out of your lobster - and with this method, inspired by Thomas Keller's way of poaching lobster (à la French Laundry Restaurant) there's no chance of over-cooking it and ending up with rubbery or dry lobster.

          

This is best made using either a sous vide machine (or equivalent) or a Thermomix, to control the temperature - however, if you're patient, you can make it by heating up a very large pot of water until it reaches the correct temperature, and then stand and monitor it for 15 minutes while your lobster is in there and maintaining the temperature by turning the heat underneath off and on! (I've done this in the past with salmon and steak, when I didn't have so many gadgets in my kitchen!).

This will serve two people as a starter or light lunch - however you can easily increase the number of lobster tails and butter as appropriate (just keep them two to a bag - if cooking in a Thermomix, you may only be able to fit in three as a maximum). See my blog here for serving suggestion of lobster mayonnaise, buttered asparagus, watercress and grapefruit salad and crostini.

Ingredients

• Two small, raw lobster tails, approximately 125g each (e.g. Maine lobster tails, available from Sainsbury's fresh fish counter in the UK)
• 50g salted butter cut into cubes
• 1 tsp oil
• Freshly ground black pepper

Essential Equipment

• Small food bag, waterproof and suitable for heating up to 60 degrees celcius (e.g. re-sealable or ziploc/snaplock or vacuum sealable)
• Sous vide machine or Thermomix or large stock pot and thermometer

Method - preparing the lobster tails

1. To easily remove the shells from the lobster tails, bring a large pan of boiling, lightly salted water to the boil, and plunge the the tails in for 30 seconds (no more), then immediately remove and plunge into cold water for a few minutes to prevent them from cooking further.

2. Use a large knife or cleaver to then split the tails in half through the middle from top to bottom, and then remove the black, intestinal vein (if it is in there) which runs along the back, and discard.

3. Gently remove the lobster meat from the half shells, in one piece, sliding your fingers underneath the meat to separate from the shell, starting at the top and working towards the tail, then rinse, pat dry and set the meat aside. Reserve the shells for making lobster oil, to make my lobster mayonnaise or to use in a delicious dressing; or freeze the shells to add to future stocks, soups etc.

Method - cooking the lobster tails
(See below for Thermomix method)

1. Preheat the sous vide machine (or water in a large pot with a thermometer!) to 59 degrees Celcius.

2. Heat half of the butter in a small pan* with the oil, and swirl around until it is just starting to brown a little (don't burn it), then take off the heat and add the rest of the butter and some freshly ground black pepper to taste and swirl around until melted.

3. Place the lobster tail halves in the bottom of your bag, and pour the warm butter over them, then gently massage the bag to make sure the lobster tails are thoroughly and evenly coated in butter.

4. Make sure the lobster tails are sitting naturally in the bottom of the bag, next to each other all side by side, not squished into a block, following their natural curves (because they're going to come out cooked in whatever shape they're in!), then carefully squeeze out as much air as possible (I do this by rolling the bag all the way up, and gently squeezing - or you could use the water displacement method and slowly submerge in a pan of water until the air is squeezed out) and seal the bag.

5. Put the sealed bag of lobster tails into the pre-heated sous vide machine (or pot - and regulate the temperature) and cook for 15 minutes at 59 degrees celcius, This will give you tender and juicy lobster which is just perfectly cooked - obviously if you want it more cooked, then cook for longer / a higher temperature, or pop in a pan to finish!

6. Serve the lobster with your chosen accompaniments, with a drizzle of the juices from the bag, and serve the remained of the juices in a little dish, for dipping crusty bread in, if you wish!

*If serving with buttered asparagus and crostini, just heat half of the butter in a pan with 1 tsp neutral oil until the butter is melted, and then add the asparagus and cook gently for a few minutes, turning occasionally until just cooked, then remove the asparagus with tongues and set aside. Then take off the heat, and add the rest of the butter to the pan and stir in until melted. After pouring into the bag with the lobster, if you avoid scraping the pan, you can then gently press slices of ciabatta onto the remains of the butter to soak it up before griddling.

         

Butter poached lobster served with lobster mayonnaise, chives, pan-cooked asparagus and a watercress and grapefruit salad with griddled crostini. Bit of a mouthful? Oh yes!! Recipe here...

Thermomix method - cooking the lobster tails

1. Firstly, prepare the lobster tails as in the three step method above, and set aside inside your bag (don't seal the bag yet). Grind some fresh black pepper into the bag with the lobster tails

2. Put half of the butter, cubed into the Thermomix bowl, with the oil, and heat 10 minutes / Varoma / Speed Spoon / MC off (MC = Measuring Cup) until beginning to smell nutty and a light amber colour. Add the remaining 25g butter cubes and stir in for 30 seconds / Speed 1 / MC off until melted and mixed, and pour into a small bowl and set aside to cool for a couple of minutes. (If you want to save time, you can do this in a pan, as above, while the water heats up in the bowl in step 4 below.)

3. Pour the warm butter over the lobster tails in the bag, then gently massage the bag to make sure the lobster tails are thoroughly and evenly coated in butter.

4. Make sure the lobster tails are sitting naturally in the bottom of the bag, next to each other all side by side, not squished into a block, following their natural curves (because they're going to come out cooked in whatever shape they're in!), then carefully squeeze out as much air as possible (I do this by rolling the bag all the way up, and gently squeezing - or you could use the water displacement method and slowly submerge in a pan of water until the air is squeezed out) and seal the bag.

5. Fill your Thermomix to approximately 1.5 litres full (T31 and TM5) with cold water from the tap. Insert the internal steaming basket and add the (bagged up) lobster tails to the bottom of the steaming basket. Then add enough cold water to come up to the bottom of the highest lines in the internal basket (see picture on right) and ensure the lobster tails are completely covered by the water.

4. Remove the lobster tails and set aside while you heat the water up. Heat the water for 15 minutes / 60C / Speed 3 / MC on.

5. As soon as the water is ready (check the appropriate light/indicator is on 60C), add the bagged up lobster tails back into the internal basket, make sure they are fully submerged in the water, and make sure the tops of the bags are not hanging outside the bowl (fold over, if necessary), and put the lid and the MC on. Cook for 15 minutes / 60C / Speed 3 / MC on. This will give you tender and juicy lobster which is just perfectly cooked - obviously if you want it more cooked, then cook for longer / a higher temperature, or pop in a pan to finish!

6. Serve the lobster with your chosen accompaniments, with a drizzle of the juices from the bag, and serve the remainder of the juices in a little dish, for dipping crusty bread in, if you wish!