Seasoned Lobster Claws Cooked in a Bed of Salt

Grilled Lobster Claws Coated with Salt

Roastin' them Crustaceans: A Salt-Baked Lobster Claw Odyssey

Ever watched a CHOW TIPS video and thought, "I could do that, but better"? Well, here we are, taking inspiration from that salt-roasted prawns vid, stocking up on affordable lobsters during a grocer's sale, and giving it a go with lobster claws.

Cooking lobster claws in a salt crust results in tender, well-seasoned meat with a crispy, bite-worthy exterior and no chewiness to speak of. This easy-peasy technique requires minimal prep but watch your fingers with that heated salt!

While tastin' the tail in salt is plausible, we found it to be more suitable for a quick sauté in butter, or other culinary methods.

Yield: 2 mouthwaterin' lobster claws
Difficulty Rating: Somewhat of a chimney sweep, but ye can handle it
Total Time: Approximately 80 minutes, with 10 minutes at the start and end, respectively

What Ye Need

A lively 1.25-1.5 pound lobster (or more if you're hungerin' for a feast)
8-16 pounds of rock salt, depending on the size of yer roastin' vessel
An ovensafe pot, no need to break the bank, only $20 max
A smaller, ovensafe pot suitable for containin' the salt for whiskin' that heat
Optional: herbs like rosemary or thyme for a flavor boost (you savin' bay leaves for another day?)
Whole peppercorns for spicin' things up a notch
A bright lemony wedge for garnish

Let's Get Cookin'

Preheat an inferno of an oven to 525-550 degrees.
Mixin' herbs and peppercorns with salt be an option, 'tis nobodies' business if ye do.
Spread 80% of that rock salt in the smaller vessel and the rest in the larger, oven-ready pot. Park both pots in the oven for 45 min or until the salt hits about 400-450°F.
Separate the claws and tail from the lobster. If ye're the uneasy type, dispatch the crustacean before wrenchin' off the claws.
Brush away any tamale in the anterior tail section to keep the quality of the meat top-notch. Set the eggs, tail, and thorax aside for later gourmet ventures, possibly sautéing the tail in butter.
Gingerly remove both vessels from the oven and lay the claws on the heated salt in the larger pot. Cover them with the warmed salt from the smaller pot.
Return the larger pot to the oven and crank up the heat to 525 degrees for 20 minutes.
Lift the larger pot from the oven and carefully transfer heated salt to the smaller vessel, exposin' the claws. Grab 'em with your trusty tongs and set 'em on a rack or plate to cool for a couple minutes.
Mound some rock salt on an ovensafe dish and nestle the claws on top with a garnish of herbs or a lemony wedge if ye please.

Enjoy a tender, succulent, and perfectly seasoned lobster claw experience with no pesky chewiness to annoy your pearly whites!

For a nutritional twist, consider adding herbs like rosemary or thyme to the salt crust for a flavor boost before roasting the lobster claws.
To roast the lobster claws, follow the instructions of sautéing the tail in butter from the recipe, but instead, place the claws on a dish and roast them in the oven at a temperature of 525 degrees for 20 minutes.
Serve the roasted lobster claws with a side of detailed instructions for other culinary methods, such as sautéing the tail, to complete your salt-baked lobster claw odyssey.