Charcoal Grilled PEI Lobster with Warm Garlic Oil
When you fire up the grill for live Prince Edward Island lobster, sweet, ocean-fresh meat meets pure Mediterranean comfort. This charcoal-grilled lobster recipe anchors a stunning sharing platter featuring tender tail, whole claw, and knuckle meat nestled in a warm, anchovy-infused olive oil with roasted garlic, creamy cannellini beans, sweet red peppers, capers, and fresh herbs.A swift two-minute blanch followed by a gentle pass over live coals gives the lobster a subtle kiss of smoky char while keeping every bite tender and succulent. Set out a loaf of deeply charred sourdough for dipping into the golden oil, and you have an impressive seafood feast built for gathering.
Ingredients
➡️Note About Scaling the Recipe: When scaling to 2X or 3X, the light grey ingredient notes and the instructions remain unchanged. Please adjust as needed.
The Lobster
- 2 live PEI lobsters approximately 1¼ to 1½ lb (570 to 680 g) each
- 1 to 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Fine sea salt
Mediterranean Infused Oil
- 1¼ cups high-quality extra virgin olive oil 300 ml
- 1 whole large head of garlic
- 4 anchovy fillets finely minced
- ⅓ cup dry white wine 80 ml
- 1 cup cooked cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 237 ml / ~240 g
- ¾ cup roasted red peppers, diced 115 g
- ⅔ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved lengthwise 90 g
- ¼ cup capers, drained 40 g
Finish & Serving
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup torn fresh basil
- 2 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Flaky sea salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 large rustic sourdough loaf or French baguette
- 1 to 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil for brushing bread
Instructions
Roast the Garlic
- Preheat your grill or oven to 400°F (205°C).
- Slice about ½ inch (1 cm) off the top of the garlic head to expose the cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap tightly in aluminum foil.
- Roast for 40 to 50 minutes until the cloves are tender and golden brown.
- Cool until safe to handle, then carefully peel the cloves, keeping as many whole as possible. Set aside.
Blanch and Prepare the Lobsters
- Prepare a large bowl of ice water and set it nearby. Keep lobsters chilled in the refrigerator until ready to process.
- Fill a large stockpot with water, season generously with fine sea salt, and bring to a rolling boil.
- Remove the rubber bands from the claws immediately before cooking. Dispatch each lobster humanely just before placing them into the pot.
- Submerge both lobsters into the boiling water and start a 2-minute timer immediately (do not wait for the water to return to a boil).
- After exactly 2 minutes, transfer lobsters to the ice bath for 5 minutes to stop the cooking. Drain thoroughly.
- Place each lobster on a stable cutting board and split lengthwise through the head, body, and tail.
- Remove and discard the stomach sac behind the head, the intestinal tract from the tail, the feathery gills, and the tomalley/roe to keep your oil clean and clear.
- Pat all lobster halves thoroughly dry with paper towels. Removing excess surface moisture is critical for achieving good colour on the grill.
- Brush exposed meat lightly with 1 to 2 tablespoon olive oil and season with a pinch of fine sea salt.
Charcoal Grill the Lobster
- Set up a two-zone charcoal fire targeting a dome temperature of 425°F to 450°F (220°C to 230°C). Clean and lightly oil the cooking grates.
- Place the 4 blanched lobster halves shell-side down over indirect heat. Close the grill lid.
- Cook shell-side down for 3 to 4 minutes until the tail meat becomes opaque and approaches doneness.
- Move the lobster halves meat-side down over direct charcoal heat for 30 to 60 seconds, just long enough to catch a light char and caramelization.
- Check internal temperature in the thickest part of the tail; remove when it reaches 135°F to 140°F (57°C to 60°C).
- Transfer grilled lobster to a cutting board to rest briefly.
Note: If the claws need additional cooking time, detach them and keep them over indirect heat, shell-side down, while resting the tails.
Prepare the Mediterranean Infused Oil
- Heat 1¼ cups (300 ml) olive oil in a wide sauté pan over medium-low heat.
- Add the minced anchovies and cook for 2 minutes, stirring until they dissolve into the oil.
- Pour in the white wine, increase heat slightly, and simmer until reduced by half.
- Add the roasted garlic cloves, roasted red peppers, Kalamata olives, capers, and cannellini beans.
- Reduce heat to low and warm gently for 5 to 6 minutes so the flavours meld. Keep warm over very low heat.
Grill the Bread
- Slice the sourdough, brush both sides with olive oil, and grill over direct charcoal heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side until deeply toasted with light charring on the edges.
Assemble the Platter
- Select the 2 most visually appealing lobster halves as your platter anchor. Keep their tail meat in the shell.
- From the remaining 2 halves, remove the tail meat and cut into thick medallions. Remove all knuckle meat from each of the 4 halves. Keep the claw meat whole and set aside for serving.
- Remove the warm infused oil mixture from the heat. Gently fold the loose tail medallions and knuckle meat into the warm oil to coat. Set aside the claw meat.
- Stir in lemon zest, chopped parsley, and half of the torn basil. Taste and adjust with flaky sea salt and black pepper (anchovies and capers provide natural salinity).
- Spoon or pour the Mediterranean-infused oil mixture onto a large serving platter. Arrange the 2 anchored lobster halves on top.
- Add the whole claw meat naturally across the platter. Drizzle generous spoonfuls of the warm infused olive oil directly over the lobster halves and onto the platter base to create dipping pools.
- Top with remaining fresh basil, extra lemon zest, and fresh cracked pepper. Serve immediately with warm grilled sourdough.
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