This is my dad’s easy version of lobster,
made for all of us hau saang jai lui (kids) out there,
Steamed Lobster Tails.
This is a simpler twist
on a classic celebratory Cantonese dish,
perfect for when you want something majestic
without having to deal with a whole lobster.
Cheers!
First, we’ll prepare what my wife likes
even more than the lobster—
the juicy bed of vermicelli.
First,
we'll soak the bean vermicelli.
It needs to soak for some time.
I like to soak it in warm water.
Warm water softens it up faster.
Put some cold water into the bowl first.
Mix some hot water in to make it warm.
You can't cook it directly?
No, you just need to soak it in warm water.
When it's nearly done soaking, we'll add more hot water.
Let's add a bit more water.
It's about 2 cups of water.
It just needs to cover the bean vermicelli.
Let's cut this string off.
We’ll let the vermicelli soak for at least 10 minutes in warm water.
Set that aside.
Now, we’ll prepare the aromatics.
We'll use about 2 oz of garlic for the garlic paste.
It just needs a light smash.
We’ll smash each clove of garlic with a cleaver, then peel it.
First, trim and discard the hard end.
We'll use the knife to smash the garlic.
That's how we get a really nice paste.
Then we’ll smash each clove into a paste.
Don't chop it, because that won't make a fine paste.
Smashing like this is the best method.
How are you holding the knife?
Just like this.
Put pressure with your finger.
This method makes the garlic into a finer paste.
If you want to learn how to cut twice as fast and prevent injuries,
we have a free 6 minute video lesson for you.
Click the link in our description or scan the QR code
to access it for free!
Now, we can easily chop it up a bit more.
After smashing, we’ll chop the garlic thoroughly,
changing angles to make a finer paste.
Okay, that's all set.
Set aside.
We also want to make a bit of ginger paste.
Just 1/2 oz of ginger paste.
It'll help combat any fishy odors in the seafood.
Just smash it like this.
After slicing, we’ll smash each piece of ginger with the cleaver.
Then we’ll chop it thoroughly, just like the garlic.
After chopping, we’ll add it to the same bowl as the garlic.
Set aside.
Next, we want to cut the white parts of the green onions.
We'll quickly smash them before chopping.
Nicely smashed up.
After smashing, we’ll dice the green onion whites finely.
Then change angles while chopping to mince them even smaller.
The smashing helps flatten and loosen them up.
The inside can be dense,
so we wouldn't have as fine a mince if you just chopped it.
I want everything to be a paste.
Garlic paste, ginger paste, green onion paste
Set that aside.
We’ll put these in a separate bowl from the garlic and ginger.
Next,
let's prepare the lobster.
Wash the lobster tails.
Just scrub the legs.
Scrub the tail and all of the shell.
Scrub it nicely.
Scrub the underside.
There are plenty of options
when it comes to buying lobster tails.
For one, it's much easier without having to choose a live lobster.
Also, frozen lobster tails are generally
very similar in quality to fresh ones
since they're flash-frozen right after the lobster is caught.
Even lobsters sold as fresh may have been previously frozen,
like our wild-caught Costco lobster tails today.
If you're looking for sustainable options,
check out the Seafood Watch website.
After washing the lobster tails,
we’ll set them aside
and return to the vermicelli that’s been soaking for 10 minutes.
The bean vermicelli has been soaking,
so we'll cut it in half.
When we're eating the bean vermicelli,
they won't be so long.
Just cut them down the middle.
With kitchen shears, we’ll cut the vermicelli into shorter lengths.
They'll be easier to eat with the shorter length.
Pour the water out.
Then we’ll drain the water from the vermicelli.
The bean vermicelli has softened nicely.
We're not done with it yet.
We'll soak it again in hot water.
The lobster tails only take 8-10 minutes to steam,
so we want to soften the bean vermicelli further before steaming.
2 cups of hot water.
Now, we’ll soak the vermicelli again in hot water.
The bean vermicelli is actually cooked.
It's been sun-dried and it's hard,
so I'm just rehydrating it just until it's soft.
5 more minutes in the hot water.
There are several different varieties of vermicelli out there.
Today, my dad's using precooked bean vermicelli
that's been dried into serving-size bundles.
We've included a link in our description
to buy this exact brand on Amazon.
Next, let's keep preparing the lobster tails.
Some people cleave it right down the center.
That's fine,
but I'll show you to cut it using kitchen shears.
Get the shears into the lobster tail.
It's very hassle-free.
Just cut with kitchen shears.
It's safe and effective.
We’ll cut the shell all the way down to the fin.
We're just cutting the top of the shell open.
Then repeat with the rest of the lobster tails.
If you don't have kitchen shears,
You can use a knife to cut that top shell open.
We can also use a sharp knife to cut through the shell.
That works too.
Kitchen shears are the easiest way.
But we recommend using shears as it’s easier and safer.
Jason from the Canto Cooking Club asked,
"How do you work with frozen lobster
when fresh isn't
available or feasible?"
Just thaw it and it'll be exactly the same.
"What's the best way to thaw lobster tails?"
Let it sit and thaw naturally.
In the fridge or on the counter?
On the counter.
Not in the microwave, just take your time.
Slowly defrost it.
Do you want to share with Mommy, or you want your own?
Okay, Hong Doy, here's one.
Wow!
Yeah, here you go.
This is your piece.
See, what do you think?
Whoa, good!
Good?
Next,
Lightly cut into it with a knife.
Open the flesh up a bit more.
Separate it.
We’ll cut about halfway into the tail.
Separate it.
Then we’ll pull apart the shell just a bit.
See that?
We need to make space to put the garlic paste in.
We’ll continue cutting the rest of the tails and pulling them open.
We'll set those aside.
Set them right there.
Let's work on the bean vermicelli.
They're soft now.
Let's drain the water.
See the bean vermicelli?
It's ready.
Drain the water out.
We’ll set that aside to drain again,
and bring out our wok and stove for the next step.
We'll turn on the heat and add oil.
High heat.
Add 2 tbsp of oil.
Little bit more.
Heat it up.
We’ll heat the oil for just 30-40 seconds.
The oil's starting to smoke, so we'll turn the heat off.
We'll pour the hot oil over the garlic paste.
Then we’ll pour the hot oil over the garlic and ginger.
Mix well.
Then we’ll mix up the paste
with the hot oil
and then add the green onions.
Add the green onion whites.
Then mix in the green onions.
We don't need too much salt,
because the lobster is naturally quite flavorful.
We'll add just a generous 1/2 tsp of salt.
Same with sugar.
1/2 tsp.
2 tsp of cooking wine.
This enhances the aroma.
We'll add 2 tsp of cornstarch.
We'll add some sesame oil.
1 tsp of sesame oil.
Mix well.
We have all of these ingredients listed on our blog at madewithlau.com
along with step-by-step instructions and video clips
to guide you as you make the recipe at home.
After mixing the paste well, we’ll give it a taste test.
Make sure it's flavorful enough.
Good.
The flavor profile should be pretty savory,
but you might want to add the salt in multiple batches
just to make sure you're not overdoing it.
Next, we'll season the bean vermicelli.
Make sure it has drained well.
Not too watery.
If the bean vermicelli is full of water,
it won't be able to absorb the juices from the lobster.
To make sure the vermicelli is as dry as possible,
we’ll transfer it to a deeper colander
and toss it a bit to let any excess water drip off.
That's okay.
Let's season the bean vermicelli.
We’ll add 1 tbsp of oyster sauce, 1/2 a tbsp of light soy sauce,
1 tsp of sesame oil, 1/2 a tsp of salt, and 1/2 a tsp of sugar.
Then, mix it all up.
After the seasoning is all mixed in, we’ll give it a taste test.
Once that’s approved,
we’ll plate the vermicelli onto our steaming and serving plate
That's enough.
Now, we'll put the garlic paste in the lobster tails.
Open it up like this.
Now we’ll spoon the garlic and ginger paste into the lobster tails.
Use 2 tsp.
Then we’ll place it on top of the vermicelli.
Lobsters are known as lung ha in Cantonese,
which directly translates to "dragon prawn".
As you might know, dragons are
extremely auspicious animals in Chinese tradition,
one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac
and symbols of power, luck, and strength.
You'll often find lobster served at banquets and weddings.
In Chinese culture, lobster, like fish and chicken,
is traditionally served whole
because of the phrase jau tau jau mei,
which literally translates to having the head and tail,
and it means having a beginning and an end,
and finishing what we start.
To have the whole animal
on the table is lucky
as it signifies abundance and completeness.
So while you probably shouldn't serve lobster tails
at a special occasion for more
traditional Chinese friends or family,
they'll be perfect practice for
our much more elaborate lobster yee mein recipe.
Now, we’ll fill the rest of the lobster tails
with the garlic and ginger paste,
then plate them.
Why do you put bean vermicelli on the bottom?
The bean vermicelli—
Cause it's good!
—soaks up all the juices.
So good!
It soaks up all the lobster juices.
How come you don't use other noodles like chow mein?
Those wouldn't work as well.
Those noodles would get soft and soggy.
Bean vermicelli doesn't get soggy.
If you use chow mein noodles, they'll get soggy.
Bean vermicelli stays chewy after steaming.
It won't fall apart.
Also, the bean vermicelli tastes amazing
when it's absorbed the lobster juices.
All right, friends!
Everything is ready,
so let's start steaming our lobster!
Set the steaming rack in the wok.
The plate's a little crooked,
so I'm going to prop it up a bit with a spoon.
It'll help keep everything level.
Just like that.
Put it in.
Not crooked now.
You have to use your brain.
Add boiling water to the wok.
First, we’ll add about 4 cups of hot water
or basically up to the bottom of the steaming rack.
The water comes up to the rack.
Turn the heat to high.
We’ll turn the heat to high and cover it to bring the water to a boil.
Once it's boiling, put the lobster in.
It'll take 10 minutes to cook.
Keep it on high heat.
Now we’ll let it steam covered for 10 minutes on high.
Rober from Patreon asked,
"What's the best way to make sure
the lobster isn't overcooked?"
Lobster cooks through very quickly.
You only need to steam it for 10 minutes, no longer.
Both lobster and shrimp are fast.
Shrimp only takes 8 minutes,
and lobster takes 10 minutes.
They'll be fully cooked through.
Like many other kinds of seafood,
lobster can easily be overcooked.
The delicate meat can quickly become tough and dry.
For that reason, my dad immediately uncovers
and turns off the heat right at 10 minutes
to stop the cooking process.
To confirm that it's fully cooked,
simply make sure that the meat is white and opaque.
The flesh turns white once it's cooked.
The shells turn red, too.
It's red.
This is like that traditional shrimp dish.
Yes, we make steamed shrimp the same way.
Shrimp cooks faster because they're smaller.
Shrimp only takes 8 minutes.
Now, we'll cut some green onion strips for garnish.
Make it pretty.
Just line the green onions up like this.
We’ll cut some of the green parts of the green onion vertically
to create thin strips for garnish.
This is optional,
but for our video,
I want to make it look nice.
For a party, would you steam this last?
Yes, I'd steam this last to serve at a party.
It's very fast, only 8-10 minutes.
After 10 minutes of steaming, we can uncover.
Okay!
Oh my god!
Yeah!
A dash of oil to make it even prettier.
Here my dad adds a tbsp of olive oil to the lobster
for that final bit of shine.
That's all set.
Heat off.
Let's take it out!
Add some green onion strips.
Beautiful!
Very handsome.
After garnishing with the green onion strips,
we’re ready to serve.
Hello, friends!
Our Lobster Tails are complete!
I hope you all enjoy it!
Mui Mui, Hong Doy, come and eat lobster!
Wow! Thank you!
This is for Mommy!
Bye!
Cam, look at that black circle.
Look right here.
Thanks for watching!