The Vibrant Caribbean Pot Cookbook
Soup Season Cookbook
Get My Latest Cookbooks
On Sale Now

One Kitchen, Many Cultures

lobster recipe

Showing: 1 - 4 of 4 Articles
Seafood

The Ultimate Pepper Lobster.

1 Comment on The Ultimate Pepper Lobster.

I’m not the biggest fan of lobster and if you follow me on Instagram you would have seen talk about how I (humbly) think it’s an overrated (pricey) ingredient to use. However, the odd time I do prepare lobster, it’s usually the recipe I’m about to share with you today. I’m using small (cold water) lobster tails, but Caribbean spiny lobster will work just as well.

You’ll Need…

8 small lobster tails
1 1/2 tablespoon chili oil (stir-fry oil)
3 scotch bonnet peppers (green ones)
1 medium onion (divided)
5 cloves garlic (diced fine)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 large bell pepper (large chunks)
1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
1 tablespoon Spicy Chilli Crisp
1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust)
3 scallions (chopped)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
2 -3 tablespoon tomato paste
1/3 cup water

  • With the Onion, dice 1/2 and cut the other half into large pieces.

Prep the ingredients as it’s a quick dish to prepare.

Clean, wash (with lemon juice and cool water) and drain the lobster tails. (watch the video below) Then cut them down the back to expose the flesh a bit and to allow the spicy sauce to get in there when cooked.

Place a wide pan on a medium flame (a wok would work great), then add the chili oil along with the garlic and onion. Turn the heat down to low so we don’t burn the garlic.

2 minutes later, add the black pepper and chili crisp, stir well. Heat still on low.

Toss in the scotch bonnet peppers and stir well. Remember to remove the seeds and white membrane if you’re concerned about the raw heat. TIP. Cut the scotch bonnet peppers into large pieces so later on it’s easier to identify when serving.

Add the oyster sauce and stir well, to give us a sort of caramelized flavor. Then add the tomato paste and as we keep doing – stir well. If you don’t have the tomato paste, add 2 tablespoon tomato ketchup.

To help balance the heat, add the sugar. NOTE. If you used ketchup don’t add any sugar, the ketchup will have a sweetness on it’s own.

It’s now time to add the prepped lobster tails and salt. Mix well to coat the lobster tails with the spicy goodness in the pot.

Turn the heat up to medium high and add the water. Shake the pot, then scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze it. Put the lid on the pan and bring it a boil.

2-3 minutes later and you should see bubbles, grate in the ginger and cook with the lid on for another 2-3 minutes.

Now it’s time to add the bell pepper, large pieces of onion and scallions. Cook for 3 minutes to soften the bell pepper and you’re done. Turn off the heat, place the lid on and let it sit for 3 minutes before serving. The residual heat will finish things off for us.

Typically this is eaten as a snack (say Cutters) when enjoying adult beverages with your family and friends, but it’s great with steamed rice if you want to enjoy it as a meal.

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Seafood

Curry Lobster With Shrimp.

2 Comments on Curry Lobster With Shrimp.

Seafood and Curry lovers, I got YOU! The delicious combination of wild caught shrimp and lobster claws in a CLASSIC Caribbean curry sauce… no need for coconut milk, but rock it if you feel the need. This is one of my all-time favorite way to use curry with seafood and I can guarantee it will be yours too!

You’ll Need…

1 lbs lobster claws (pre-cooked)
1 lb shrimp (shell on, deveined)
2 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 medium onion (diced)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced)
5-7 cloves garlic (smashed)
1 medium tomato (diced)
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon dehydrated pimento peppers flakes (optional or use fresh if you have)
1 teaspoon dehydrated Shado Beni (optional or use fresh if you have)
1 teaspoon Anchar Masala
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon parsley (chopped fine)

Important! I used previously cooked lobster claws (on sale) in this recipe, so they only had to be reheated (after being thawed) in the curry sauce. If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you decide on using. Anchar Masala can be found at your local West Indian supermarket or if you cannot source it, feel free to use roasted cumin (geera). I used dehydrated Shado Beni and Pimento Peppers (aka seasoning peppers), feel free to use cilantro (fresh) if you can’t source the Shado Beni. Fresh pimento is best IMHO, but it’s what I had on hand. However, feel free to leave it out if you cannot source it.

Thaw the Lobster claws and give them a quick rinse under cool water. I was able to get wild caught shrimp which were deveined, but had the shell on. That shell will give you great flavor. Wash with cool water and lemon juice (not mentioned in the ingredient list). Drain!

In a saucepan on medium flame, add the oil, onion and garlic. Turn the heat to low.

3 minutes later add the Scotch Bonnet pepper (as much as you can handle) and remember to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after. Habanero peppers work great in this dish as well, but you can also use your fav spicy pepper.

One minute after adding the scotch bonnet pepper, we’ll add the curry powder and move it around the pan. It will go grainy and darker. The low heat will allow us to waken up the spices which makes up the curry powder.

4 minutes later add the black pepper and turn the heat to med/high and in goes the water. Bring to a boil

Add salt, shado beni and pimento pepper, followed by the Caribbean Green Season and stir well. Then in goes the diced tomato. This tomato will help us get a thick gravy and the acid will balance the overall flavor of the dish. Reduce to a simmer.

For more flavor, add the anchar masla and continue cooking for about 4-5 minutes.

Add the shrimp and mix well.

3 minutes later, it’s time to add the lobster claws, mix well and bring to a boil (heat at medium).

2-3 minutes later it’s done, but we have to personalize things. Make sure the salt it to your liking (adjust) and the gravy to the consistency you like. Toss in the parsley, stir and you’re done!

Cooking the shrimp in it’s shell will not only add additional flavor as I mentioned above, it will also help prevent us from over-cooking the shrimp.

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Gluten Free Seafood

Ultimate Grilled Lobster #JulyMonthOfGrilling

Leave a Comment on Ultimate Grilled Lobster #JulyMonthOfGrilling

It’s that time of the year! We’re now into the 10th edition of the annual July Month Of Grilling and we’re starting off with a BANG! (a recipe which is heavily requested on Instagram) This recipe is influenced by the folks at Ducky’s Ortoire Organic Roast Seafood and the delicious offerings they sorted us out with last year. While I wish I had Caribbean lobsters, the cold water lobster is an excellent substitute to accompany the steaks grilled this night.

You’ll Need…

3 1 lb lobsters
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 scallions (chopped fine)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 pimento peppers (seasoning peppers – chopped fine)
2 bird’s eye pepper (chopped fine)
3/4 lb butter
6-8 leaves Shado Beni (culantro – chopped fine)
8 cloves garlic (diced fine)
2 tablespoon parsley (chopped fine)
1/2 lemon (juice)
1 shallot (diced fine)
1/2 cup coconut milk

Important: If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Banana leaves can be found in the frozen section of your Asian, Latin or Caribbean grocery store. Remember to wash your hands with soap and water after handling such hot peppers.

Please use the video below as a guide when cleaning the lobsters. These were live lobsters, so using a sharp chef’s knife I made a quick (but forceful) cut down the head of the lobster, then continued down the tails to cut into two equal halves. This swift method of cutting through the head, is probably the most humane way to kill the lobsters.

Remove the rubber bands from around the claws and wash out the belly cavity with cool water. In the video you’ll see the stuff I removed. Feel free to wash the lobsters with some lemon juice.

With the ingredients prepped, it’s now time to go crank up your grill. I used my propane grill, but you can use a charcoal grill should you prefer (better flav actually). You’ll want a hot grill.

Heat a pot and add all the ingredients mentioned above (except the lobster and banana leaves). This is the key to this succulent grilled lobster.

Allow it to simmer for about 3-5 minutes after it comes to a boil, to allow flavors get an opportunity to combine. Keep warm as we grill the lobsters.

I prefer to go flesh-side down to start, over direct heat. But.. not for long. 40-50 seconds later, flip them over and hit then with the first basting of the coconut buttery goodness we created. Then cover them with the banana leaves. Should the leaves be difficult to source, simply close the lid on your grill.

4-5 minutes later (depending on how big your lobsters are) remove the leaves (discard) and baste with another round of the flavored butter. Give it another minute or 2 and you’re done.

Serve warm, with the remaining coconut garlic butter as a dip. BTW, this butter is excellent on steaks as well. The goal is to have juicy lobsters, so please don’t over-cook and be sure to be generous when applying the melted butter. BUT be mindful that you may get flare-ups.

Seafood

How To Cook Curry Lobster The Caribbean Way.

9 Comments on How To Cook Curry Lobster The Caribbean Way.

If I were to count using my fingers the amount of times this dish was cooked in our home growing up, I’d have room left to count 10 other dishes. Curry lobster (or lobster curry as our Guyanese cousins say) never made it to our dinner table as far as I could remember. However curry crabs (simmered in freshly made coconut milk)  served with flour dumplings was a regular thing. Let’s mimic that curry crab recipe, with the use of these succulent lobster pieces for what could only be described as the ultimate curry lobster.

Quick lobster note… lobsters found in the tropical waters of the Caribbean are different than the ones most North Americans are familiar with (like Maine lobsters). The Caribbean lobster tend to be a bit more boney (spiny), there’s a subtle difference in taste and they have no claws. I remember snorkeling in the pristine waters of Tobago (Buccoo Reef) a few years back and catching my first ever spiny lobster. With no means of sparking up a fire and cooking it.. let’s just say that was the last time a lobster got away from me!

 

You’ll Need…

2 lobsters (about 3lbs)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tomato
1 tablespoon Caribbean green seasoning
1/4 teaspoon roasted geera (cumin)
1/4 teaspoon amchar massala (optional)
4 cloves garlic
1 small onion
2 sprigs thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1 cup water

2 tablespoon veg oil
3 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 cup water to cook the curry
1/4 onion for cooking curry

Wash, clean and cut the lobster into pieces. I used a Maine lobster, so I had claws (crack then a few places for the marinade and curry to do it’s thing from the inside -out)…  season with the salt, tomato, garlic , onion, garlic, green seasoning, amchar massala, black pepper, roasted geera, thyme and scotch bonnet pepper.  Please allow this to marinate for at least 2 hrs in the fridge. Remember to take it out of the fridge about 15 minutes before you’re ready to start the curry, so it comes back to room temp before cooking.

Heat the oil in a deep pot on medium heat and add the diced 1/4 onion. Lower the heat to low and let it cook for 2 minutes. Meanwhile in a small bowl, mix the curry powder and 1/4 cup of water to form a sort of thick paste. Pour in the curry mix and cook on low for about 3-5 minutes, until it starts to cook down, go grainy and start to clump. (see images below)

The goal here is to cook off the raw curry taste and to really intensify the overall curry flavors. Turn up your heat if you find that it’s not cooking down. You should have a thick paste, with signs of the vegetable oil you started off with.  If you’ve not already done so, turn the heat up to medium high and start adding the marinated lobster pieces to the pot, stirring as you do to pick up all that great curry flavors from the bottom of the pot. Try to coat all the pieces of the lobster with the curry base we created. Place the lid on the pot and bring to a boil. It will release it’s own juices. Let that simmer for a couple minutes, then remove the lid and turn up the heat.

The goal now is to intensify the combined flavors of the curry, seasonings and lobster. Burn off any liquid. In the same bowl you marinated the lobster, pour in the 1 cup of water and stir to pick up all remaining marinade. Pour in the water (mixed with any remaining marinade) into the pot and bring to a boil.

The lobster will go a brilliant red/orange color as it cooks and stand out brilliantly against the rich greenish color of the curry sauce. With the pot uncovered, let that cook for another 4-6 minutes or until the lobster is cooked to your liking (try to not overcook). Personalize this curry lobster by tasting for salt and adjusting accordingly and the the gravy or sauce should be as thick as you like.

Since I had my mom’s help in cooking this tasty curry lobster, she usually finishes off her curry dishes with a topping of finely chopped shado beni (aka culantro, chadon beni or bandanya), if you can’t source shado beni, cilantro works great. Add when you turn off the stove.

You can get creative by using coconut milk instead of the 1 cup of water, but I personally find that it mellows the overall taste too much and takes away from the lovey flavors of the lobster itself.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.