Perfectly Poached Sous Vide Lobster

1. Prepare Lobsters

First, humanely kill the lobsters by plunging a knife into their heads and splitting the carapace in half. Next, twist off the tails and claws from the body.

2. Prepare Tails for Boiling

Lay the lobster tails flat and skewer them along their length using stiff wooden or metal skewers to keep them straight while cooking. Prepare an ice bath by filling a large container with ice and water.

3. Boil Tails

Bring a large pot of water or a steamer to a rolling boil and add the tails, cooking them for just one minute. Transfer them immediately to the ice bath using tongs.

4. Boil Claws

Next, cook the claws in the same boiling water for four minutes before transferring them to the ice bath as well.

5. Remove Meat from Shells

Once cooled, squeeze the sides of the tails and pull outward to remove the meat. For the claws, break off the pincer, crack the shell, and extract the meat. Use kitchen shears or a heavy knife for this task. For the knuckles, snip open the shells and remove the meat with a wooden skewer.

6. Prepare Sous Vide Bag

Preheat your sous vide precision cooker to the desired temperature. Place the lobster meat into a heavy-duty zipper-lock or vacuum bag, adding the butter and tarragon sprigs. Remove as much air as possible from the bag using a vacuum sealer or the water displacement method.

7. Sous Vide Cooking

Cook the lobster in the water bath for 20 minutes to an hour. The precise temperature control of sous vide cooking ensures the lobster remains tender and buttery.

8. Serve Lobster

When the meat is opaque and firm, it’s ready. Remove the lobster from the bag and discard the tarragon. Serve the perfectly poached sous vide lobster with lemon wedges and hot clarified butter.