Grilled Lobster With Vietnamese Dipping Sauce Recipes

GRILLED LOBSTERS WITH SOUTHEAST ASIAN DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring an 8-quart kettle three fourths full with water to a boil for lobsters.
• Mince garlic and in a bowl stir together with fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, water, and chili paste. Dipping sauce may be made up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• Plunge 2 lobsters headfirst into boiling water and cook 3 minutes (lobsters will be only partially cooked). Transfer lobsters with tongs to a colander to drain and cool. Return water to a boil and cook remaining 4 lobsters in same manner.
• When lobsters are cool enough to handle, twist off tails and break off claws at body of each lobster, discarding bodies. With kitchen shears halve tails (including shells) lengthwise. (Do not remove tail or claw meat from shells.) Lobsters may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. (If making ahead, chill lobster immediately and keep chilled until ready to grill.)
• Prepare grill.
• Chop cilantro and mint and stir into dipping sauce. Measure out 1/4 cup dipping sauce to use for basting lobster tails. Grill claws on a rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals, covered, turning them occasionally, until liquid bubbles at open ends, about 5 minutes, and transfer to a serving platter.
• Arrange tails on grill, cut sides up, and brush with basting sauce. Grill tails, covered, basting occasionally, 6 minutes, or until meat is opaque.Serve lobster with dipping sauce and lime halves.

GRILLED LOBSTER WITH GINGER, GARLIC, AND SOY SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook first 4 ingredients in medium saucepan over low heat until garlic and ginger begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Set aside. (Sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm before using.)
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Drop 1 lobster headfirst into large pot of boiling water. Cover; cook 3 minutes (lobster will not be fully cooked). Using tongs, transfer lobster to baking sheet. Return water to boil. Repeat with remaining lobsters.
• Transfer 1 lobster, shell side down, to work surface. Place tip of large knife in center of lobster. Cut lobster lengthwise in half from center to end of head (knife might not cut through shell), then cut in half from center to end of tail. Use poultry shears to cut through shell if necessary. Repeat with remaining lobsters.
• Place lobster halves, meat side up, on barbecue. Brush meat with some basting sauce; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover barbecue; grill lobsters until just opaque in thickest portion of tail, about 9 minutes. Remove from barbecue; arrange lobsters on platter. Brush with more sauce and sprinkle with green onions. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

VIETNAMESE DIPPING SAUCE (NUOC CHAM)

Steps:

• Peel carrot lengthwise with a vegetable peeler. Stack carrot slices and cut into very fine long julienne strips.
• In a bowl, mash the garlic with the sugar. Add remaining ingredients and carrot slices and mix well.

LOBSTER DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic; cook and stir until starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining butter and reduce heat to low. Stir to melt the butter, then mix in the lemon juice, pepper and cilantro. Let it steep over low heat for about 10 minutes. Strain before serving if desired.

GRILLED LOBSTER WITH VIETNAMESE DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the garlic, chilies, sugar, fish sauce and lime juice. Set aside. Prepare a charcoal grill. Steam the lobsters for 5 minutes. When cool enough to handle, twist off the claws and tails. Cut the tails in half lengthwise and rub the exposed meat with the oil.
• Place the tails and claws on the grill over medium-hot coals and grill until just browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes, turning once. Serve hot with the dipping sauce.