How to Make Restaurant-Style Fried Lobster Tails

During my restaurant days, Fried Lobster Tails was one of the more popular specials I ran on my selections of daily specials. Served with cocktail or tartar sauce or if you’re throwing caution to the wind, melted butter.

Lobster is a favorite with many people and frying those sweet little tails is a delicious way to enjoy them.

What ingredients do I need to make Fried Lobster Tails?

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Restaurant Style Fried Lobster Tails. In Chef Speak this is called the Mise en Place which translates into Everything in its Place.

Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

The first step is defrosting the lobster tails and then carefully splitting them in half using a chef’s knife.

You don’t have to break the bank when it comes to a Chef’s Knife. If you’re looking for a good everyday knife a Mercer Culinary Knife or Dexter-Russell Basics are great choices.

You can spend as much as you want on a knife and if you start having fun in the kitchen and want a new toy there is nothing wrong with buying a really good knife to make your time in the kitchen happier.

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Start by dredging the split lobster tails (including the shell) in flour.

**Season the flour with sea salt and black pepper

Do I have to Fry the Lobster Shell?

No you don’t. You could freeze the uncooked shells to use the next time you make seafood stock or a lobster sauce.

The reason I include the shells is simply for the visual impact. Lobster meat by itself is small and isn’t as impressive without the shell. Remember that people eat with their eyes so looking good is as important as tasting good.

The next step is dipping the floured lobster tails into an egg wash. Completely coating the lobster and shell in the liquid.

How do I make an Egg Wash?

You can make an egg wash many different ways and there is no right way or wrong way as long as what ever you’re frying gets completely immersed in your choice of egg wash.

• just eggs – well beaten
• eggs and milk
• eggs and cream
• eggs and water

Use about 1 ounce of liquid for every egg used. A little extra liquid won’t hurt the mixture you just don’t want to water it down too much.

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The last step before frying is to place the lobster tails in a seasoned bread crumb mixture. Make sure to completely cover the lobster and shells with the bread crumbs.

Do I have to use Seasoned Bread Crumbs for Frying Seafood?

No, you do not. You can use any of these options for your fried lobster tails or any food you’d like to fry.

• Plain bread crumbs. (you can add your own seasonings if you like)
• Panko bread crumbs (seasoned or unseasoned)
• Cracker meal
• Gluten Free bread crumbs of any style

With the exception of fried chicken, you can forgo the flour step of the breading process. It does add a little more of a crust to the fried food, so if you like a lighter appearance and taste, just use the egg wash and bread crumbs.

When all the split lobster tails have been breaded you’re ready to begin the frying process.

Chef Dennis Tips for Home Frying

When you fry foods the oils you use need to have a high smoking point. *Smoking point is the temperature it takes for the oil to start to break down and smoke.

The oils I recommend for frying foods are peanut oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil or vegetable oil. My oil of choice is corn oil for home frying and canola in professional kitchens.

Make sure you have enough oil in the pot to fully submerge the food you are frying. Leave enough room for the food your frying with an extra few inches at the top for safety. The oil will bubble and you don’t want to get burned or have a mess to clean up.

Never add liquid to the fryer and keep a Kitchen fire extinguisher (rated for oil) nearby.

For most deep-fried recipes, you’ll want to heat your oil to 350 – 375 degrees F. Use a long stem thermometer to check the temperature of the oil. If you’re cooking in batches make sure to give the oil time to recover before adding more food.

Drain the fried food on baking racks over sheet pans (or baking sheets). Allowing fried food to drain removes much of the fat associated with deep-frying. Most of the fat will not penetrate the food, staying only on the outer layer (as long as the oil is hot enough)

This half sheet pan with a wire rack is perfect for draining fried foods.

You can reuse the oil if you filter it, cleaning out the residue that sinks to the bottom of the oil. Using big coffee filters in a stainless steel strainer will work. Just make sure the oil has cooled to a temperature you can safely handle it at.

If you’re serious about home frying I suggest the T-Fal Deep Fryer. It’s the one I use at home for any deep-fried foods.

Can I bread lobster tails or other seafood ahead of time?

Yes you can. The only problem you’ll run into is that while sitting any prebreaded foods begin to get wet as the moisture from the food releases.

To overcome this you would need a quick trip back into more breadcrumbs. This will add to the coating. You will also be losing moisture from the food making it dryer and less flavorful.

If you do need to bread ahead of time, try not to let the breaded product sit for more than 4 hours.

Can I freeze breaded seafood?

Yes you can. Lay out your breaded seafood on a sheet pan or flat pan and place it in the freezer. Once the breaded food has completely frozen, place it into ziplock bags until your ready to fry.

***When you do fry the food, do not defrost it first. Fry while still completely frozen.

Now that’s a plate full of deliciousness! And definitely a show-stopper. Wouldn’t you like to sit down to a plateful of these fried lobster tails?

Can I fry other seafood using this method?

Yes, you can. Here are some other of my favorite seafood that would be perfect for frying:

• Oysters
• Shrimp
• Scallops
• Flounder
• Calamari

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also like these:

• Lobster fra Diavolo Bianco
• Lobster Stuffed with Crab Imperial
• White Cheddar Lobster Mac and Cheese
• New England Style Lobster Roll
• Creamy Cheddar Lobster Dip