Preparing lobster can often feel like too much effort — those intimidating claws and fiddly shell making you wonder whether it is worth it. However, preparing lobster doesn’t have to be complicated or take hours of preparation. You may be surprised to learn that many lobster dishes are quick and easy to make at home. Here, we rounded up five suggestions for delicious lobster dishes that require a minimum of prep time and paired them with local wines to make the meal even more enjoyable.
Boiled Lobster
If you’re about to attempt your first lobster, a boiled lobster recipe is perfect. It only takes five minutes to prep, and you need to buy just three ingredients. The main element that takes this meal to the next level? Salt, which delivers a wonderfully fresh ocean taste to the dish. This is a simple recipe but an absolute classic.
Boiled lobster allows the rich flavors of the flesh and the butter to shine. We recommend serving with a glass of crisp white wine, such as a sumptuous Chardonnay. Milea Estate Vineyard‘s 2017 Hudson River Region Chardonnay with its ripe pear and apple notes and creamy acidity is an ideal match.
Grilled Lobster Tails with Lemon and Herb Butter
This fantastic recipe only requires twenty minutes of preparation, which we think is well worth it. The result? Perfectly grilled lobster, complete with a vibrant, tangy sauce.
For the herby, citrusy notes of this lobster recipe, we prefer a clean-cut white wine, such as the refreshing Clearview Vineyard Estate Seyval Blanc which resembles Sancerre from France’s Loire Region and has a crisp, balanced acidity.
Baked Lobster with Garlic and Cheese
A recipe of cheesy, baked goodness; this is perfect for anyone keen to experiment in the kitchen. This baked lobster recipe calls for butter, garlic, and grated cheese, creating an unctuous, savory, and delicious dish.
There’s no lack of rich flavors in this dish, so an elegant white wine is ideal. Why not sample Whitecliff Vineyard Vidal Blanc: made from 100% Hudson Valley fruit and barrel fermented in Hungarian oak for three months, with plenty of butteriness and a rich mouthfeel, to finish?
Barbecued Lobster Tails
Simple and delicious, this barbecued lobster recipe is covered with a savory marinade, which is a blend of paprika, garlic powder, white pepper, olive oil, and freshly squeezed lemon. The recipe takes approximately ten minutes to prepare.
One of our favorite wines for grilled lobster is Benmarl Winery‘s Estate Seyval Blanc: Light, refreshing and crisp on the palate with citrusy aromatics and lemon blossom notes.
Easy Butter-Poached Lobster
Just Cook’s dish is fresh, quick, and unbelievably delicious. The recipe serves two and requires only five minutes to prepare. Tarragon, butter, and lobster are the only ingredients—make sure you use fresh herbs and the best quality butter you can afford. If you plan to use unsalted butter, you may wish to add a little salt to the cooking water.
Look for a wine to harmonize with the fresh, herby taste of this dish. You are sure to love a light-bodied Riesling that slips down easily, such as Nostrano Vineyard‘s stainless-steel fermented 2019 Dry Estate Riesling.
Header photo: David Todd McCarty/Unsplash
