Notes:
If you don’t have prosecco, you could use Champagne, white wine or plain water. It’s a good idea to plan on two small lobster tails per person, unless you do a surf and turf combination.
TOTAL TIME 40 minutes
8 4-ounce (113-gram) lobster tails
2 tablespoons (30 ml) prosecco, champagne, white wine or plain water
16 tablespoons (224 grams) butter, cut into 16 pieces
4 garlic cloves, chopped
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2-3 bay leaves
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Remove the tails from their shells: I like this video for a tutorial on removing the tails.
Make the poaching liquid, which is called a beurre monté. Set a 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat. You don’t want the skillet to be too hot. Pour in the prosecco or liquid of your choice, and let it heat up a bit. Add one piece of butter and whisk into the water until melted. Then whisk in the second piece.
Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and bay leave and whisk to incorporate.
Whisk in the remaining pieces of butter, one by one, and wait for each one to melt before adding the next. If you have an instant read thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature of the butter. You'll need to keep it about 180 degrees, if possible.
When all butter is incorporated, add lobster tails in a single, snug layer.
Poach until opaque throughout, turning every 1-2 minutes, for a total of about 6 minutes.
If serving straight from the pan with crusty bread, sprinkle on the lemon juice, pepper, and parsley, and serve.
If you’d like to serve the lobster over pasta, remove the lobster meat to a platter and discard the bay leaves. Add lemon juice, pepper, and parsley to the pan with the poaching liquid and stir to incorporate. Add cooked pasta and toss to coat. Place some pasta on each plate, top with two lobster tails, and serve.
Enjoy!