Tonight was Zoom cooking with Chef Paulette.  The agenda was Baked Lobster Tails with Garlicky Breadcrumbs and Butter

Crab Cakes with Homemade Cocktail Sauce

Spaghetti with Spicy Shrimp Tomato Sauce

I did not and will not make her crab cakes.  She puts too much filling (Panko Crumbs) in her recipe.  We bought the crab that I usually buy at Costco.  It is Philips brand and it is really good.  I decided to make my Maryland Crab Cakes for NYE which we will be spending alone just like every other holiday, anniversary, birthday, etc. in 2020.

I made both the lobster and the shrimp tomato sauce during the class.  We dined on the lobster tonight.  Tomorrow, I will cook the pasta and we will have the shrimp sauce.  I split all the recipes in half.

Ingredients:

4 lobster tails (5-7 oz. each)

1/2 C Panko Crumbs

4 garlic cloves

5-6 sprigs fresh Italian parsley

3-4 T dry white wine

EVOO for drizzling

salt to taste

2-3 T butter

Directions:

1. Under the chefs direction we first chopped all the garlic and parsley needed for the lobster and sauce.  and placed them in small bowls.  
2. Next we warmed up our oven to 400 degrees F.
3. We then prepared the breadcrumb mixture for the lobsters by combining in a bowl the Panko, garlic, parsley and salt.  Next we add enough oil to to make a loose paste.
4. The chef then demonstrated 2 ways to cut the lobster tails.  The first is to use kitchen shears and cut the shell on both sides down the middle.  Then, using your knife, cut the meat in half laying them on an aluminum foil lined sheet pan for baking them.  The second method was fancier and if company was coming, I would do it this way.  Cut the shell on the top side all the way down the middle.  At the end of the shell cut across the fin left and right, forming a T.  Using your fingers and a small knife loosen all the lobster meat from the shell and drag it on top of the shell.  This made a pretty presentation.  As you can see from the photo, I cut mine in half.  
5. Season the meat with a little salt.  With the cutting finished you then press the Panko mixture into the meat.  Top the mixture with dots of butter and sprinkle the wine in the pan to steam as they cook.  
6. She recommends cooking to 140-145 degrees for approximately 15 minutes, 2 minutes per ounce.  Actually I would cook to about 135 and cover with foil to 5 minutes to accommodate the residual cooking.  

I found them a little dry and felt they were a tad over cooked.  We pulled them out at 140 degrees F.  At 10 minutes I checked and they were 135.  

So I served them tonight with baked sweet potato and par-boiled asparagus.  It was a very nice meal.  I was dead tired from the cooking class.