On one hand, if you were talking about real, live, whole New England lobsters I would agree that frying would not be the optimal cooking method.

So you have lobster tails. I don't know what those are exactly, or where they come from. Probably frozen. So then tempura could only be a help????

I've never met anything cooked in tempura that I didn't love LOL!

Consider panko crumbs. They're awesome.

I'll be interested in seeing what advice others give.

The weirdest thing I've had deepfried is _____________.

I posted this back in January for another thread...

It's great for shrimp so I suspect it will be equally great for lobster tail (which should be cut into "shrimp-sized" pieces for best frying time).

TEMPURA BATTER

1 cup flour*
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
Oil for deep-frying (I like 3 parts Wesson "Best blend" oil, 1 part peanut oil, and a good splash of sesame oil)

Mix flour, cornstarch, salt, sugar, and baking powder.

Add soda water gradually, stirring with a fork, first to create a paste and then until mixture is like a thick pancake batter.

Heat oil for frying to 375° F - 400° F.

Dip prepared veggies and meats in batter, coating completely. Shake off excess.

Fry vegetables and meats, a few pieces at a time, until light brown and crispy.

Do not crowd pan, or oil temperature will drop. No more than will cover ¾ of the surface of the oil.

Drain on paper towels.

* NOTE: I like 2 parts all-purpose flour to 1 part rice flour.

VARIATION: PANKO TEMPURA

To use Japanese breadcrumbs (panko), dip items in batter, smoosh around in crumbs, then fry.

SAUCES FOR LOBSTER TEMPURA --

Delicate Tempura Sauce

3 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs orange juice
2 Tbs dry sherry or mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 Tbs finely chopped green onion
1 Tbs sugar
1 tsp sesame seed

Mix all ingredients.

Spicy Dipping Sauce

¼ cup hot Chinese mustard
2 Tbs water
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs rice wine vinegar
1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk all ingredients together.

My wierdest tempura-fried item: Olives (green Spanish; pitted; WELL drained) -- they're actually VERY good.

Joe

The weirdest thing I've had deepfried is rattlesnake.

It was o.k. Too many bones, not enough meat. It didn't taste like chicken either, it tasted like the batter it was fried in.

SteelMaggie, if you have never made Tempura, I would suggest you have a practice run with shrimp or a firm white fish like snapper or cod so you can practice on something a bit less expensive. I have been making Tempura for years, and yet I still practice a bit before hand if I haven't made it for a while, 'cause it can be tricky.

In order to get the crispy, lacy look that Japanese restaurants specialize in, it is very important that you use ice water to mix the batter, and keep the batter very cold. Whatever you're frying is rolled in white flour and lightly shaken to remove the excess before dipping in the batter. Typically, the batter seems thinner than us White folks would normally fry things in...then the chef will flick droplets of batter onto the piece frying in the oil, to make more of the lacy, crispy bits.

I couldn't begin to tell you the temp the oil should be. But, the piece of fish or veggie or whatever, should very briefly sink, and almost touch bottom before rising again to the surface. You need at least 4 inches of oil (preferably deeper) in order to fry it properly. If the piece sinks and sticks to the bottom, the oil is not hot enough, but if it never sinks at all, it's too hot. Once the piece has risen to the surface, and the roiling has calmed a bit, it's time to flick or drip batter onto the piece if you want those lacy bits.

It is also important to have some sort of skimmer to remove the bits of floating batter between batches so they won't burn and taint the oil. I like the Chinese style strainer, which looks something like a large, round, flat spoon shaped strainer with a handle, made with a fine steel mesh. You can use a slotted spoon, but it doesn't get out the really small bits.

It is also better to drain the pieces on a rack over a tray rather than on paper towels, which helps it to not be so greasy.

I'm with Joe on the tempura idea. As of now, of course, we have no idea if that bears any resemblance to the preparation your friend was raving about.

IMO, a thin, light, tangy dipping sauce is ideal with tempura. Either ponzu (lots of recipes on the web) or Joe's Delicate Tempura Dipping Sauce would be good. Tartar sauce wouldn't be bad though, for tartar sauce fans.

The most important tip I can give you about tempura is DO NOT OVERMIX the batter. Stir just enough to barely incorporate the ingredients. Some lumps should remain.

Rachelellen's instructions are excellent. Making tempura is not a terribly complicated procedure. In fact it is kind of simple. You just need to get a few essential points right and have your production line organized.

I definitely would make a practice run before the real one.

Jim

Lobster tails are not northern cold water lobster tails....they come from warm water and are a different critter, tougher and less sweet, no claws, heavier shell. Unless you use "slipper lobster" which are the small northern lobster, it won't be like your friend had....good but not AS good.
Slipper lobster are small northern lobster that are small...so small they really don't mess with the claws, but those likr bodies are heaven fried.
A good tempura batter is pretty much a cup of flour a cup of water and an egg....but rice flour makes a very wonderful tempura batter.....as does 2 egg whites and no yolk....and sometimes I have used beet....that's good for catfish.
And yes...you need something that will maintain the oil at the proper temperature..370.
And I can't wait to hear the trouble it was to shell those lobster! LOL! Cooked they shell easily, but raw it's not so easy!
Linda C

I overlooked the "tails" part.

My thought would be to parboil them first. That might make them easier to shell and quicker to cook through when fried. I would make slices about 1/4" thick.

This is theory based on experience. Others may wish to correct my theory based on their experience.

BTW, you might as well make tempura of some veggies to accompany the lobster, peppers, onion, summer squash, asparagus, etc. There are many possibilities.

Jim

Seagrass, I deep-fry battered dill pickle slices all the time. If you've never tried it, they're sooo delicious! Especially good with a ranch-type dipping sauce.

Joe, thanks for all the recipes and tips! I had a feeling maybe a different style of sauce might be best. I'm a sucker for good sauces, so I think I'll try both. Cilantro isn't my thing, but hot Chinese mustard sure is. It would be okay to sub Italian parsley for the cilantro, wouldn't it? And those olives sound great. Will definitely throw some in the pot with the pickles next time.

Fried rattlesnake is very common in Texas, but I never got up the nerve to try it. Thanks for confirming that my wussiness didn't cause me to miss out on much, RE. :) And thanks for all the wonderfully clear and detailed instructions! I've fried shrimp several times and oysters once but wasn't totally thrilled with the results. I feel *much* more confident now that I can pull this thing off successfully. Will have a practice session with some shrimp tomorrow.

Jim -- great tip about not overmixing. Just like muffin batter, huh? Who knew? I've always stirred to a faretheewell... I was wondering how on earth to get the things out of the shell while still raw. Parboiling sounds like it might work, but any idea how long? (I think the tails are usually around 6 oz.) I also really like your suggestion about using tempura for the veggies! Now all I need is a good appetizer.

Linda C., I'm sure you're right about the tails. My friends were visiting near the Gulf Coast, so warm-water lobsters makes sense. And we're so far inland that I'm sure frozen will be the only kind available. So, all you Mainers, we're NOT committing heresy! :) Want to hazard a guess as to how long they should be parboiled?

Greatly appreciate all the help! Any more tips and recipes welcome.

sm

I wouldn't par boil them....even slightly over cooked lobster gets tough and rubbery. 1/4 inch slices of par boiled lobster will be over done almost before the batter browns.
Cut them into medalions about 1/2 an inch thick, dip and fry until the batter is browned...3 or 4 minutes.
Linda C

I think Linda is right. After reviewing dozens of recipes on the internet, some of which recommend baking lobster tails for as long as 30 minutes (that can't be good!), I came across Jamie Oliver's recipe linked below.

I wouldn't do everything as he does. I think the medallions would be nicer than the chunks he recommends for instance. But he sounds like he knows what he's doing. Some of his method has already been suggested above, such as Rachelellen's flicking in extra batter for a lacy effect.

Most important, he uses raw lobster. No parboiling. And he says it cooks quickly, just as Linda says. I'm convinced that is the way to go.

Whew! Good luck and be sure to give us a debriefing after you do it.

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Jamie Oliver re Tempura Lobster

Jim -- I, too, had been doing some research online and had come to the conclusion that parboiling wouldn't work. Thanks to Linda C for her sound advice, and many thanks to you also for taking the time to check out (and revise) your recommendation.

I am learning so much from the responses to this thread. Jamie Oliver's tip about using chopsticks to stir so you don't overmix the batter is pure genius! (Bet it improves the texture of my muffins too.)

Jamie said to use egg yolks only for tempura. Linda C said she sometimes uses the whole egg and, sometimes, the whites only. Another interesting difference to pursue...

Will check in tomorrow night after experimenting.

sm

Oh no! Par boiling would be a mistake! Lobster is about the same density as shrimp. Fairly large prawns are well cooked before the batter coating is! Also, residual heat will continue cooking the lobster for several minutes after you remove it from the oil.

Luckily, lobster isn't as susceptible to overcooking as fish...it's a bit more forgiving.

Lobster is also a food that is at once rich and delicate in flavor. If the pieces are too thin or small, you won't be able to taste it over the oil, batter and dipping sauce. Frankly, I wouldn't deep fry it to start with, but if I did, I wouldn't cut it any smaller than one inch chunks. If you have the oil at the temperature that results in the "behavior" of the fried items I described, it will not brown quickly, and there will be more than enough time to cook the chunks.

A caveat...I have never fried lobster. So I would ask your friends how large the pieces were that they were served...that will help you decide.

I will be on tenterhooks! :D

Well?

Hope it was perfect. Any tips for us?

Jim

Sorry I haven't posted a follow-up sooner. Got lost in a pile of paperwork doing income taxes. :(

Well, first of all, I was surprised to find that I had a choice at Fresh Market. Regular lobster tails were $12.99 and the South Pacific kind were $21.99. (That was "each" instead of by the lb.) The difference was that the warm-water lobster tails were approximately twice as big. Since I didn't need many, I opted for the good stuff. So I guess that means I *did* commit heresy after all. lol

The taste was fabulous, but it was sort of in spite of the tempura instead of because of it, if you know what I mean. Yes, I practiced, but I just couldn't get the consistency right. Followed Jamie Oliver's instructions exactly, but the batter was just too thin. I kept adding rice flour, and adding rice flour, and .... well, you get the picture.

The zucchini was great. The sugar snap peas and eggplant were wonderful. And the sweet pepper rings were just to-die-for! The asparagus was very good, but I did learn that I need to buy thicker stalks next time. The very, very skinny ones I had were hard to deal with.

Joe -- I simply don't like soy sauce. (Just some weird thing about my tastebuds, which is why I prepare very few Oriental dishes.) So I hope you won't be offended when I tell you that I made your 'delicate' sauce knowing I wouldn't care for it. BUT...my guests had a fit over it, as I had guessed they would! And that's the whole point, isn't it -- pleasing your family and friends?

The lobster tails were really wonderful, despite the fact that I just didn't master tempura at all. (And cleaning up was the absolute pits!!!)

sm