Title: Doing Lobsters a la Pitts
Categories: Seafood Info Pitts
Yield: 1 Info

I could show you how to do the lobster tails a lot easier than trying to tell you (computers have their drawbacks). But here goes (note for Cousin Burt, these directions are for right handed people only -- you lefties will need to reverse 'em).

Thaw the tails in the refrigerator, or quick-thaw them under cold running water.

Hold a thawed lobster tail in your left hand, rounded side up, with the fins pointing away from you. Hold a pair of strong kitchen shears in your right hand. Slip one blade of the scissors between the shell and the meat, and cut up the center until you reach the point where the shell meets the fins. Do not cut into the fins.

Now, using your fingers or the scissors, cut across the top shell where it joins the fins. You will now have a T-shaped cut in the upper shell.

Use your hands to pry the tail meat out of the shell through this cut. The meat should remain attached to the shell at the fin end. Flip the meat upside down (it will still be attached to the shell), and make 3 or 4 VERY shallow cuts at about a 45 degree angle through the tough membrane on the underside of the meat. This prevents the tail from curling into a little ball when it is cooked.

Now flip the meat back over so it sits on top of the cut tail. Next, you need to fluff the tail. Do this by VERY gently running a sharp knife down the center of the tail. Then make two cuts of equal depth (again, gently, the meat is very fragile) on either side of the center cut. Finally, place your thumbs in the center of the top of the shell, where it meets the fins. Press down until you hear a pop (not every shell will do this, so don't worry if it doesn't.) Finally, fan out the fins, and tuck the outer fins over the others to lock them in place.

Brush with butter, sprinkle lightly with seafood seasoning, and place in a shallow rimmed broiler-proof pan (we use pie tins). Add about a quarter inch of water to the pan, and broil the tails until the meat JUST turns opaque. Do not overcook.

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