Here’s Some Tips for Cooking Maine Lobster Tails on a Gas Grill
Football Sunday Starts Again Now With Great Tailgate Lobster Recipe
Football sunday starts again now and fresh lobster tails on the grill are perfect for football Sunday whether the guys are over or you’re tailgating at the game. Here are some tips for cooking Maine lobster tails on a gas grill.
While preparing tails is easy, cooking lobster tails on the grill requires careful attention to timing and movement. Cooking over the dry heat of a gas grill can dry the lobster meat out or cause it to cook it unevenly. Lobster tails on the grill should be rotated on the grill to make sure the tail meat cooks evenly. And the tails should be turned only once. Start cooking the lobster tail with the flesh side down. Then for the last three minutes flip the lobster onto the shell side.
Try This Recipe for Fresh Maine Lobster Tails Garnished with Lemon Slice and Asparagus
Preparation:
Split the lobster’s tails in half lengthwise and press the flesh open. Add the ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir. Brush the oil sauce onto the flesh side of the lobster tail. Preheat the grill to medium-high temperature. Place tails on the grill flesh side down and cook for seven minutes. Four minutes on the flesh side and three minutes on the shell side. Do not over cook. Remove the tails from the heat and serve immediately.
Prep Time: 13 minutes Grill Time: 7 minutes Total Time: About 20 minutes Servings: Serves 3 to 6 (depending on how lucky your guests are)
Ingredients:
6 4-to-6 oz fresh lobster tails (make sure they are fully thawed if previously frozen)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
As an option, garnish with fresh lemon slice and serve with grilled asparagus. Grilled fresh lobster tails; outdoor entertaining at its best.
Now is the time to take the party outdoors and enjoy a traditional steamer clam recipe from Cape Cod.
The Maine lobster clambake with freshly harvested steamer clams is one of those wonderful summertime dinners that locals enjoy up and down the New England coast. But for many people, a basket of freshly cooked steamers can be a fabulous dock-side lunch or dinner all by themselves.
The steamer is a soft shell clam known by many names. Steamers can be called the Ipswich clam, the long neck clam, the belly clam, the fried clam and other not so flattering terms. The shell is soft enough to break with your fingers. Steamers are readily identified because the long neck, or snout, stick out of the shell. They are harvested from saltwater sandbars and saltwater mud flats. The clams live in the sand just below the surface and are famous for “squirting” water when people walk by, making them easy to find.
Fresh soft shell steamer clams
The best soft shell clams are still harvested by hand and are usually available year round, except when the flats freeze. They are sold daily to markets and stored in mesh bags in large, airy coolers. Although easy to prepare, it is important to follow some basic steps.
Traditional Ipswich Steamer Clams Recipe from Cape Cod
At least one hour before cooking, place the clams in a clean sink (no soap or other residue) and just cover the clams with cold water. Add two drops of white vinegar to the water to help the clams expel any sand they have in their shells. Stir the clams gently and let soak for 10 minutes. Drain the sink flushing any sand residue. This time without vinegar, cover the clams with cold water again, gently stir, and let soak for five minutes. Drain. Discard any clams with broken shells.
Traditional kettle for steaming clams
Ingredients:
White vinegar
Four pounds of freshly dug steamer clams
2 large stalks of fresh celery
2 medium yellow onions
1 stick salted butter
1 fresh lemon
Steamer Clam Preparation:
Clean steamer clams with white vinegar as described
Cut celery stalks into two inch pieces
Cut onions into two inch quarters
Cut lemon into ¼ size wedges
Melt butter and place in ramekins
Add water to large steaming kettle or lobster pot 1/4th of the way up
Cooking Steamers:
Bring to roiling boil
Place steamers, onions and celery into pot at the same time and cover
Gently stir clams twice
Cook for 12 minutes until the clam shells open (do not overcook)
Serving:
Drain broth from the kettle into ramekins.
Squeeze lemon wedges into melted butter
Remove clams from kettle and discard any unopened shells
Serve immediately
Note: Dip to wash clam in broth and then use the fingers to remove the membrane covering the neck. Most people will eat the entire clam, while some leave the neck. Dip clam in the melted butter and enjoy. As an aside, don’t forget that day boat scallops are now in season and can be ordered for home delivery.
Ipswich Massachusetts is the where the fried clam was invented back in 1916. According to local lore, Lawrence Woodman was deep frying potato chips when he decided to save the hot oil and fry some of his large harvest of Ipswich Steamer clams. The rest is history and the Ipswich Fried Clam Roll is now world famous.
The Ipswich Fried Clam dinner is now served in clam shacks up and down the New England coast. Woodman’s clam shack (not really a shack anymore) now stands in Essex, Massachusetts where each day people – locals and tourists — line up to sample the delicious plate.
Golden Brown Ipswich Clams
Golden Brown Ipswich Fried Clams on a Roll
The mystery behind the fried clam is part of what makes them so sought after. People marvel at the flavor and wonder what tricks are used to create such a wonderful, regional specialty. But the secret truth behind the creation is that the crispy, crunchy briny flavor so loved comes from the selection of the clam. The Ipswich clam, also known as the steamer clam, is harvested from the muddy tidal flats indigenous to Massachusetts and Maine. The secret is that no other clam will do. Where the Ipswich clam lives is what makes it so special.
That’s because in these muddy flats the clam is fed by the ocean tides and the rivers. This helps them grow up clean and healthy. It is this special combination of mud, river flow and clean crisp sea water that creates the Ipswich clam. No other area in the world produces such a clam.
Fisherman Gather Clams with Pitchfork
The Ipswich fishermen use rakes and pitchforks to gather the clams by hand; the same method used 200 years ago. The town is fortunate enough to have 900 acres of clam flat beds which are open year round to both commercial and recreational diggers. The commercial fisherman harvested clams are then immediately sold to processors who hand shuck the clams and package them to be shipped fresh to clam shacks and restaurants like Woodman’s up and down the coast.
The good news is that today you don’t have to travel to Ipswich to enjoy an Ipswich fried clam roll. Thanks to online seafood services such as Lobsters-Online, you can have the very same Ipswich clam shipped fresh, overnight right to your door to make delicious Ipswich clam rolls. What a great idea for your next dinner party. Go ahead and try our Fried Clam Roll recipe with homemade tartar sauce.
Try This Golden Brown Ipswich Fried Clam Roll Recipe:
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 pound freshly shucked Ipswich clams (must be fresh)
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup finely ground cornmeal (or masa harina)
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup pastry or cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 pound lard (or 2 cups canola oil)
1/2 cup canola oil
4 New England style hot dog buns
Butter
Lettuce
Tartar sauce (see recipe below for New England style homemade tartar sauce)
Directions:
1. Drain clams in a colander. Place clams in large bowl with milk. Let clams sit in the milk at least 30 minutes (The longer the soak, the better).
2. In another large bowl, combine cornmeal and flours with salt and white pepper. Mix well with fingers.
3. In an electric fryer, large wok or deep frying pan, heat lard and oil to a frying temperature of 365 degrees.
4. Take a handful of clams, let excess liquid drip off, and toss clams well in flour mixture, turning often to coat thoroughly.
5. Melt butter and brush on side of hot dog rolls and lightly toast both sides of each roll in a pan or on a grill.
6. Tear lettuce leaves into small pieces.
7. If using a wok or pan, add one or two clams at a time to hot oil adjusting clams so they are evenly distributed. Do not pile clams on one another. Adjust temperature to keep oil hot. Fry for about 1 ½ minutes, or until they are crisp and golden brown (large clams may take a few seconds longer). Remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on a paper bag or clean paper towels. If necessary, repeat with the rest of the clams. Add clams to rolls, sprinkle in lettuce and serve immediately with tartar sauce on the side.
8. If using an electric fryer set temperature to 365 degrees. Wait until fryer heats up, drop clams in basket and deep fry for 1 ½ – 2 minutes, until clams are crisp and golden brown. Drain clams on paper bag or paper towels. Add clams to toasted rolls and serve immediately with tartar sauce on the side.
Tartar Sauce Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons drained sweet pickle relish
1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt (if desired)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (or tabasco)
Note: Combine our clam roll recipe with our lobster roll recipe for a complete seafood feast.
