When cooking lobster in the oven, it's important to take into consideration whether it's frozen or not.

Image Credit: oceane2508/iStock/GettyImages With some foods, taste and health are competing goals. When your meal includes lobster, however, you get both. Replace liquid butter with a squirt of lemon juice and lobster becomes a meal with less fat than beef, pork or chicken.

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 Factor in lobster's omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, a number of B vitamins and the minerals potassium, calcium, zinc, phosphorous, iron and magnesium, and both taste and health benefits are yours.

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  Oven baking is an easy preparation method both for frozen tails and for a parboiled, whole lobster. Here's what you need to know about cooking lobster in the oven.

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Things You'll Need

Mixing bowl, large Cutting board Kitchen scissors Baking sheet Basting brush Olive oil or low-fat margarine Food thermometer Tongs Serving platter Lemon wedges Stockpot Mixing bowl, large Ice cubes Kitchen knife How to Bake Frozen Lobster Tails

Fill a large bowl with cold water and add one frozen lobster tail for each person you plan to serve. Set the bowl in your refrigerator and let the lobster tails thaw in the water for 8 to 10 hours. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit Cut the hard shell open down its center with a pair of sharp kitchen scissors, starting at the top center of the shell, stopping when you come to the tail fan. Loosen the meat from the shell by running a butter knife or your finger between the shell and the meat. Pull the meat through the slit you cut and set it on top of the shell. Arrange the lobster tails on a baking pan and baste each tail with 1 teaspoon of oil or margarine to prevent the meat from drying as it bakes. Bake the tails for about 15 minutes, checking the temperature of the meat with a food thermometer after 10 minutes of cooking. Remove the tails from your oven as soon as the meat reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid overcooking. Transfer the lobster to a serving platter with tongs and serve with fresh lemon wedges.

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 Tip If time is a factor, frozen lobster tails can be moved straight from your freezer to your oven and baked for a longer time. Longer cooking times increase the chance you will overcook the meat, however, and overcooking affects both the taste and texture of the meat.

How to Bake a Whole, Live Lobster

Fill a large pot three-fourths full with water and bring it to a boil on your stove top over high heat. Set the lobster into the pot, head first, and boil the lobster for about 3 minutes. Transfer the partially cooked lobster to a bowl of ice water with tongs and let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Transfer the lobster to a cutting board with tongs. Cut the lobster shell lengthwise in half with a sharp kitchen scissors. Start by inserting the tip of your scissors just under the head and cutting down to the end of the tail. Pull the shell away from the body and pull out the “innards,” leaving the meat intact. Score the claws and knuckles by running the tip of a sharp kitchen knife along each claw and knuckle, cutting about a quarter inch deep. Pull the claw and knuckle apart to expose the meat. Set the lobster on a baking sheet, meat side up and brush with 1 tablespoon of olive oil or margarine. Bake the lobster for about 15 minutes. Remove the tails from your oven as soon as the meat reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid overcooking.

Tip When you purchase lobster, look for cold-water types, such as Maine lobster, rather than warm-water ones. The cost may be higher but the meat is sweet, white and tender. You can tell the difference between the two types by looking for yellow spots on the shell and a yellow band on the tail of warm-water lobster.

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  references
  
      HelpWithCooking.com: Introduction to the Lobster
    
      What’s Cooking America: Baked Lobster Tails
    
      What’s Cooking America: Frozen Lobster Tails
    
      FoodNetwork.com; Baked Lobster; Brian Duffy; 2002
       




  references
  
      HelpWithCooking.com: Introduction to the Lobster
    
      What’s Cooking America: Baked Lobster Tails
    
      What’s Cooking America: Frozen Lobster Tails
    
      FoodNetwork.com; Baked Lobster; Brian Duffy; 2002
    




When cooking lobster in the oven, it's important to take into consideration whether it's frozen or not.

Image Credit: oceane2508/iStock/GettyImages

Image Credit: oceane2508/iStock/GettyImages

  • Mixing bowl, large
  • Cutting board
  • Kitchen scissors
  • Baking sheet
  • Basting brush
  • Olive oil or low-fat margarine
  • Food thermometer
  • Tongs
  • Serving platter
  • Lemon wedges
  • Stockpot
  • Mixing bowl, large
  • Ice cubes
  • Kitchen knife

If time is a factor, frozen lobster tails can be moved straight from your freezer to your oven and baked for a longer time. Longer cooking times increase the chance you will overcook the meat, however, and overcooking affects both the taste and texture of the meat.

When you purchase lobster, look for cold-water types, such as Maine lobster, rather than warm-water ones. The cost may be higher but the meat is sweet, white and tender. You can tell the difference between the two types by looking for yellow spots on the shell and a yellow band on the tail of warm-water lobster.

      HelpWithCooking.com: Introduction to the Lobster
    
      What’s Cooking America: Baked Lobster Tails
    
      What’s Cooking America: Frozen Lobster Tails
    
      FoodNetwork.com; Baked Lobster; Brian Duffy; 2002