Get out the crusty bread and dive into the decadent and rich culinary treat known as lazy lobster. Skip the plastic bib and crack open the bubbly because this elegant New England dish is the ultimate way to celebrate the sweet flavors of fresh lobster meat without the mess and fuss of cracking a steamed lobster at the table.
While there is nothing quite like the full sensory experience of breaking down a whole cooked lobster, there are occasions when you either might not want the fuss, and also where you just crave the instant gratification of sticking your fork into tender and luxurious lobster meat. Lazy lobster is elegant enough for date night or any special occasion like Valentine’s Day. It can also be a cozy and comforting casserole to serve up for Sunday dinner. So, let’s dive in!
Lazy Lobster Basics
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Unless you’ve been to a New England style restaurant or grew up in the area, you might not be familiar with the term lazy lobster and what the dish actually entails. While there are different versions that include lobster casserole and a lobster bake, at its heart, lazy man lobster is a dish where the lobster is removed from the shell and prepared in a way to make it mess free to eat. There’s no need to set out the crackers and bib at dinner!
Lazy lobster recipes come in different forms, from a whole live lobster that has been cooked, cracked open for effortless access to the meat to a simple baked lobster pie. The actual cooking may or may not be simple in steps but the way that you eat it is.
This is also a great way to stretch out a luxury item like lobster. Different baked lobster recipes will include ingredients like a butter cracker topping, creamy pot pie type filling, or even stuffed with shrimp and scallops.
Selecting Your Lobster
Different types of lobster will work for different baked lobster recipes. It’s also a great way to incorporate leftover lobster into leftover lobster recipes.
- Live Lobster – The best lobster dishes that call for stuffing utilize the freshest of the fresh, live lobsters. You can prepare the lobsters in advance by making steamed lobster or boiled lobster, breaking down the lobster, and then preparing your topping or filling. What makes these ideal for lazy lobster dishes is there’s zero need for your guests to crack the lobsters at the table. They also make for an impressive Instagram worthy presentation.
- Lobster Tails – Lobster tails are ideal for all sorts of lazy lobster recipes from a seafood baked casserole to your favorite lobster pie recipe. Simply cook the tail meat how you like, chop it up, and add it t your recipe.
- Cooked Lobster Meat – It doesn’t get any easier than using cooked frozen lobster meat. You can use this in all varieties of lobster casserole recipes.
- Raw Lobster Meat – Skip having to take the lobster meat out of the shell and let LobsterAnywhere do all of the work. Raw lobster meat is perfect for butter poached recipes as well as seafood casseroles.
Classic Lobster Dishes Made Simple
Lazy lobster recipes come in all forms from a butter cracker topped lobster casserole to a lobster pie. Here are a couple of examples:
- Lobster Bake – While you might think of a lobster bake recipe as that classic beachside New England feast with a pot filled to the brim with whole lobsters, corn, clams, and sunny halves of lemons, it can also refer to a whole baked lobster. This is where whole lobsters are either boiled are steamed and the meat is removed from the shell but stuffed back in. It can include a simple buttery cracker or panko topping, or something more elaborate like a combination of shrimp and scallops. Why have just lazy lobster when you can have lazy lobster seafood and get a trifecta of the sea in every bite?
- Lobster Pie – Lobster pie is a great dish until itself, and the best way to reheat lobster. Want to know how to reheat lobster tails? Make lobster pie. This is where the meat is completely removed from the shells and chopped into generous chunks. It can be coated with something as simple as melted butter, or be more elaborate and include ingredients like a splash of brandy.
Baked Lobster Recipes
Jameson Tavern in Freeport, ME, often referred to as the birthplace of Maine, has an easy and straightforward lazy man’s lobster recipe requiring only a few simple ingredients. With whole lobster as the star, you just need accents of garlic-herb butter, sherry for deglazing the pan, and heavy cream.
Innovative Lobster Meals
You might be looking to broaden your lobster recipe repertoire. Look no further than dishes like lobster casserole and seafood baked casseroles. They might include additional decadent ingredients like scallops, shrimp, and even lump crab meat. These dishes are both pure comfort food while also being incredibly easy and elegant. They’re perfect for entertaining with.
Lobster Casserole
Lobster casseroles come in all sizes and forms. One example is lobster Newburg. This is a classic New England dish that can be made both as a large single casserole or made in individual ramekins for a more elegant and intimate meal. It combines generous chunks of lobster meat from whole cooked lobster, a homemade lobster stock, and the sweet kiss of sherry. The best part you can prepare the lobsters and lobster stock a day in advance making this a great dish to entertain with according to Martha Stewart.
Looking for something a little different? Katie Lee Biegel’s lobster pot pie combines a creamy and easy filling of lobster meat, corn, peas, and carrots with accents of clam juice and sherry with a topping of buttery, flaky, and nutty gruyere tarragon biscuits. This one is so good your friends and family will be diving in for seconds.
Seafood Baked Casserole
Lazy lobster dishes don’t just have to contain the king crustacean of the sea. Whether you’re looking to double down on even more seafood flavor or want to stretch your budget a little with a lazy shrimp dish, adding additional seafood to your dish will take it over the top.
For her take on seafood casserole, the Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond combines lobster, shrimp, and crab meat with a salty and crunchy potato chip topping. Green onions and bell pepper add just the right accent along with a kick of hot sauce and the umami of Worcestershire sauce.
Making the Most of Leftovers
While the idea of having leftover lobster might not seem possible, creating a lazy lobster dish is both a great way to make the most of the sweet and succulent meat while also being a good way to reheat lobster. From lobster mac and cheese to lobster casserole with Ritz crackers, using leftover lobster in a lazy lobster recipe is always a good idea.
Leftover Lobster Recipes
Here are just a few ideas on quick and easy ways to use up leftover lobster in creative and fun ways.
- Lobster omlette
- Creamy, dreamy Lobster risotto
- Piled high Lobster roll
- Pie perfect with Lobster pizza
- Taco night done with Lobster tacos
Reheating Guide
If you’re wondering how to reheat steamed lobster or want to know how do you reheat lobster tail, here are a few simple tips and tricks that will help ensure that delicate meat stays tender.
- Butter poached lobster is a gentle, controlled way to easily reheat cooked lobster meat. Add a splash of water to a saucepan and once it’s come to a simmer add a few cubes of cold butter at a time to the water, whisking constantly. Once the butter has melted and emulsified into the water it will be creamy and pale yellow. Turn the heat to low and add the lobster meat. Stir it gently until it’s heated through. The key is to never let the emulsified butter come to a boil. If it seems like it’s starting to break immediately remove it from the heat.
- Steaming lobster is also another gentle method to reheat lobster. Because it never comes in contract with boiling water it isn’t exposed to high heat. This is especially good for reheating cooked lobster tails.
- Stir cooked lobster meat into casseroles like lobster macaroni and cheese or lobster pot pie.
Grandmother’s Lobster Pie
This easy lazy lobster dish comes straight from Maine courtesy of the Maine Diner.
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 cups crushed butter crackers
- Fresh parsley for serving
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Salt the water and add the lobsters. When the water comes to a second boil, cook the lobsters for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the lobsters from the water and let cool. Crack the tails, knuckles and claws. Pick out the meat from the shells over a bowl to hold the juices. Reserve the tomalley. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and add the tomalley and lemon juice. Remove from heat and stir in the crushed snack crackers. Add enough reserved lobster juice so the mixture is thick like turkey stuffing. Divide lobster meat among 4 individual casserole dishes. Cover each dish with the cracker mixture, patting it on evenly. Bake until the top begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the dishes from the oven and garnish each with a parsley sprig and a lemon wedge.
Notes
- You can use all lobster tail meat, or shelled lobster meat for this recipe as well. You will need about five to six pounds total.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Entree
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This is a great way to use frozen lobster. Make sure that you gently defrost the lobster meat overnight in the refrigerator before making your recipe.
For a true lobster bake you can use a large stockpot on the stovetop. For baked lobster such as stuffed lobster use an oven safe baking dish or sheet pan with high sides.
No. You just need a basic understanding of how to cook lobster as most lazy lobster dishes require you to cook the lobster meat ahead of time and then remove it from the shells.
Butter poaching and steaming are both gentle methods that will reheat the meat without over cooking it.
You can but it won’t have the same fresh flavor.
Oven temperatures will vary slightly. Make sure that your oven is fully heated to the suggested temperature of your recipe. Check on it a couple of minutes prior to the time being up. If it seems a little too dry give it a splash of broth, water, or even a little melted butter.
Because most lazy lobster recipes are quite rich pick fresh sides like a crisp green salad, grilled asparagus, steamed broccolini, and make sure you have crusty bread to sop up the sauce!