Lobster Garlic Noodles
What better way is there to show someone you care than with a fancy home-cooked dinner?
There is one, actually: a fancy home-cooked dinner that’s EASY and takes less than an hour to make.
This lobster garlic noodles recipe checks all of the boxes. It features flavorful and tender whole lobster on a bed of perfectly chewy egg noodles. Top it all off with a generous amount of garlic, herbs, and parmesan cheese for a feast that you can’t stop eating. Your loved ones will be impressed, but you’ll feel like you’re treating yourself too!
This dish scores massive points on presentation and will look like it took you a lot of prep work to make. The truth is, no fancy tools are needed to make it so it’s perfect for last-minute planning. And it only takes 35 minutes to make. So there’s no need to wait to make this until your next holiday banquet. If you’re hankering for some fresh lobster, make this now.
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Why Bake Lobster?
I chose to bake lobster because I wanted to recreate Lobsterdamus’s iconic grilled lobster nest, which is what inspired this recipe. It turns out that there are many advantages to baking lobster as well.
More Tender Meat
Controlling the temperature of a grill can be very tricky. Turn it on too high and it’ll take you some work to bring it back to a more favorable temperature, which can overcook your lobster in the meantime.
Boiling or steaming whole lobster can be a gamble as well. Because these methods require the lobster to be fully intact, there’s no easy way to check when the meat is fully cooked. It’ll likely take you a few tries to get the lobster meat perfectly tender.
This baked lobster recipe is made in the oven, which you can easily control with its built-in preheating settings. The whole lobster is split in half, making it convenient to check the temperature of the meat with a food thermometer. You can even use an automatic meat thermometer that alerts you when the meat reaches its optimal temperature (more on that down below!).
More Flavor
Splitting the lobster into halves and baking it open face allows you to fully season the meat before it goes into the oven. Yes, plain boiled lobster still has an enjoyable briny flavor. But if you’re going to serve the lobster with garlic noodles, the whole dish will taste and look more cohesive if the lobster is seasoned with care as well.
No Fancy Equipment Needed
I’ve debated over getting a large seafood pot many times. Quite frankly, if you’re low on kitchen space and don’t make live lobster often, owning a large steamer or pot can be more of an annoyance. Not everyone has easy access to a grill. If your kitchen comes with an oven, you can make this recipe.
Suggested Tools for Baking Lobster
What I love about this recipe is that I didn’t need to buy any additional tools for it, like lobster crackers and a giant pot. I already had everything I needed at home. Here’s a list of kitchen equipment I recommend having on hand to make the best ever lobster garlic noodles.
Digital Meat Thermometer
While there are some visual cues you can use to determine when the lobster is close to done, an automatic thermometer is the most fool-proof method. It’s especially important for making sure those big claws are cooked!
This oven-friendly digital thermometer really helped me uplevel my cooking. The temperature probe is attached to a very long cable that connects to the digital reader. You can stick the probe into the lobster meat in the oven, close the oven door, and hang the digital reader outside the oven (it has a magnetic baking!). Once you set the device to a certain temperature setting, it will automatically beep once it reaches your chosen threshold. Lobster meat is fully cooked when it reaches at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Baking Tray
A large and sturdy baking tray is recommended for baking lobster. This durable natural aluminum baking sheet can hold two 1.5 pound lobsters. It’s preferable to a non-stick coated baking tray; the lobster could scratch the pan and ruin the non-stick coating. I use this baking tray for my macarons as well.
Metal Tongs
Whenever I’m dealing with raw meat like a chuck short rib or whole chicken, you’ll always see me with my trusty tongs in hand. Stainless steel locking tongs allow you to easily handle and position the lobster halves on the baking tray without hurting yourself on the lobster’s sharp claws and spines. It’s also the ideal tool for transferring the baking lobster onto a serving platter.
Where to Get Live Lobster
Here’s the part of the recipe that actually took me the most work: researching where to procure live lobster.
Nowadays, there are so many online services that will ship you live Maine lobster straight from the docks in New England. This is a convenient option. But I advise first doing a search in your area around grocery stores and seafood markets. These companies get their lobster wholesale, so the work done in preserving live lobsters during transport is usually more professional than a single box that’s mailed to you with a few packets of ice.
You can also check any restaurant that offers live lobster. Some will also offer live lobster for sale from their market section. Your lobster will have a higher chance of surviving a short trip in an ice-filled cooler, versus a day of transport in a non-insulated box.
Lobster Garlic Noodles
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Freeze the lobster for 20 minutes.
- Prepare the noodle seasoning. Mince the garlic cloves, cilantro, and chop the scallions. Slice the lemons into quarters.
- Make the lobster marinade. Mix together the vegetable oil, cooking wine, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper powder.
- Split the lobsters in half lengthwise from head to tail with a large sharp knife. Remove the tomalley. Crack the claws using the dull side of your knife.
- Line a baking sheet with two layers of foil and brush it with vegetable oil. Transfer the lobsters onto the baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes, until the lobster meat is at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit all around.
- Meanwhile, boil the egg noodles according to package instructions. Strain the water out once cooked.
- Melt the salted butter in a large pan or skillet until hot (roughly 350 degrees Fahrenheit). Toast the garlic cloves and half of the scallions for 1 minute. Add the noodles, black pepper, chili flakes, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Toss and mix the noodles, cooking them for 3 minutes. Sprinkle the parsley, most of the cilantro, and the remaining scallions. Give the noodles a final mix before transferring to a large serving plate.
- Transfer the cooked lobster to the same plate. Sprinkle everything with the remaining cilantro and parmesan cheese. Serve with the lemons on the side.
