Jerked Lobster, Breaking all the Rules

They called me crazy, nuts, threatened to take away my chefing credentials, but luckily I fought them off and said, “there will be jerked lobster on the menu tonight!” And what a jerked lobster it was. Savory and slightly spicy, the sweetness of the lobster counter-balanced the jerk while a hint of cilantro-born freshness kept it light. With a superb dipping butter and two carefully considered side dishes (to be posted at another time), this jerk rub is truly gentle enough for lobster, providing you don’t go overboard with it.

Now before I get into this recipe, let me make one thing clear. Rock lobsters, AKA spiny or Florida lobsters, which are clawless, are well known for being the absolute best for grilling and jerking, but, because I live in Rhode Island, they are not as easily found or as cheaply purchased as their cousins that live up here. So I went out on a limb and got some sweet ol’ Maine lobsters and began editing a favorite jerk paste recipe of mine to suit their delicate nature.

Jerked Lobster

Servings: 4 pairs of split lobsters (photos are of a multiplied recipe)

Ingredients:
1/3 bunch         Fresh Thyme Leaves (or 4 teaspoons dried)
4 teaspoons    Kosher Salt
2 teaspoons    Allspice, ground
½ teaspoon     Nutmeg, freshly grated
½ teaspoon     Cinnamon, freshly grated
4 teaspoons   Granulated Sugar
2 teaspoons   Black Pepper, freshly ground
1 teaspoon     Cayenne Pepper (more or less to taste)
2 cloves           Garlic, minced
¼ cup               Medium Red Onion, roughly chopped
¼ bunch          Cilantro, finely chopped
4 each              “Chick” or “Quarter” Lobsters (about 1¼ lbs each), alive and kicking
1 each              Lime, cut into wedges
As needed      Salted Butter

Preparation:
Begin by combining the thyme, salt, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar, black and cayenne peppers, garlic, and onion together in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Pulse or crush until all is incorporated into a paste. Next, mix the paste and cilantro together until well incorporated. This is your jerk paste.

Preheat your grill to medium-high.

Next, heat up some basting butter and mix in some of the jerk paste, adjusting quantities to taste.

Then, split each lobster with a chef’s (French) knife right down the middle.** Leave or remove the tamale based on your preference. Take a dime sized portion of your jerk paste and rub it into the exposed meat inside the tail, body and head. Be stingy, a lot of paste will go a long way.

Begin cooking by placing your jerked lobsters on the grill, cut side down. Lower the temperature to medium and close the lid. Cook the lobsters for 3-4 minutes, or until some coloring occurs. Next, flip them and baste with some of the jerk-infused butter. Close the lid again and continue cooking (and basting) until the tail meat is no longer translucent and the shell is a bright red (5-6 minutes). Serve immediately.

While eating, be sure to use the jerk-infused butter to dip and baste your lobsters and claws further.

Chef’s Notes:
If the lobster’s claws do not come in direct contact with the grill, you may need to break them off in order to cook them completely.

This recipe makes a lot of jerk paste. Be sure to save it for chicken or sword fish steaks—yum!

**This is the most humane way to kill a lobster in your kitchen—far superior to steaming or boiling.