Smoked Lobster?

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Good Day Everyone. Has anyone ever smoked maine lobster on the WSM? I was planning to cook something special for my mother's birthday this coming week. But before I spend good money on lobster I want to be sure it can be done without ruining them. Thanks in advance.
 
Shellfish cook relatively quickly, and it may not be of any benefit to try to smoke them. You may find it will leave the outside part of the meat rubbery and tough if the inside is cooked to the proper doneness. I have found no references to smoking lobster in the forum, only to grilling.
 
Thanks Doug for the quick reply. I did a search on the forum too and grilling only came up. I guess grilling it will be. /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
 
I have heard of smoked lobster ...but never seen it done. I have read about people smoking it with tea as opposed to smoke wood. I think that involves steaming or partial steaming of the meat before hand, or as Doug said your would get a rubbery product. I have heard of people using black tea for ducks and pheasant as well.
 
I believe the typical approach is to split the critter lengthwise, parboil then finish it over a hot grill with butter and seasonings. Really tasty this way. Like any crustacean they should be cooked hot and fast.
 
That is true! They should be cooked hot and fast.
The best lobster I have ever had was in Rio and it was grilled over lump charcoal. A tail split in half doesn't need to be cooked beforhand . 5 minutes on each side on high. In the steaming and smoking scenario it is cooked first and then"smoked" for 10 minutes to impart a sweet aromatic flavor.
 
The San Francisco Chronicle ran an article on the best way to cook whole main lobster a while back but my search tonight wasn't successful. I can tell you what I know.

Those suckers are so expensive you don't want to screw up. If you want to kill the lobster quickly to keep it from thrashing around point the tip of a sharp knife between the eyes and stab downward into the shell.

Now, you have to believe. The Chronicle got their people together to judge the best tasting way to cook a "bug." They tried boiling, broiling, baking and microwaving. The consensus: microwaving was the unanimous best way. Put the bug in a large ziplock with a tablespoon of water and cook on high for five minutes per the first pound, and one minute for every quarter pound above the the first pound.

As for me, I like real butter for dipping with a significant amount of added salt to the drawn butter with a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a salty, lemon butter. Mostly butter, add the salt and lemon to taste.
 
I love to watch Iron Chef on the food network. I have seen lobster grilled, sauted, steamed, boiled, made into a mousse, ect. I do remember one of the chefs putting shrimp or prawns in a wok on the stove. they put a grill into the wok and added cherry chips. This allowed them to add a smokeyness to the seafood and still cook it fast. I have also seem Emeril smoke skewered shrimp and oysters on the half shell in a stovetop smoker. Can you do the same with lobster? I don't see why not. But with the cost of lobster I think I would start with shrimp. I remember one Iron Chef where Morimoto used about $1400 worth of lobster just to flavor some asparagus. I think he also smoke some white aspargus in a wok that time!
 
FROM: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/12/24/FDGJU3QL1P1.DTL

". . . We set out to secure the best way to cook a lobster: boil, steam or -- microwave.

Microwave, you say? Hear me out. On a recent trip to Boston, Chronicle Food staffers heard Roger Berkowitz, third-generation owner of Legal Sea Foods, the monolith fish seller and restaurant chain, say that the best way to cook lobster is by microwave.

We rolled our eyes. Berkowitz is not a chef, so what does he know? Still, he's the head of one of the largest seafood companies in the country and, on further thinking, he made sense. Microwaving means lobster effectively steams in its own container (the shell) and in its own juices.

We had to try it.

We boiled, steamed and microwaved three same-sized lobsters, all from the same source. When we tasted them, it was unanimous: microwaved was best. The flavor, more complex and intense, edged out the lobster cooked by the other two methods. . . .

. . . To microwave: Place lobster in a heavy duty, microwave-safe plastic bag with 1 tablespoon water. Seal the bag. Microwave 6 minutes for the first pound, plus 1 minute for every additional 1/4 pound. . . .

. . . Just before cooking, you can place the lobsters in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to immobilize and sedate them. . . ."
 
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