Another "star" from wuffy's 4th of July Surf n Turf Feast!

These little lobster tails, about 4-6 oz, weren't enough to make a meal on their own, but combined with the shrimp and the steak, and these were a wonderful addition to the trio!

Wuffy had never before cooked his lobster "fluffed" out of the shell, "steak house style", but he has eaten them that way plenty of times. The technique is surprisingly easy! Even more so when working with the smaller lobster tails offered in many supermarkets.

Wuff added a rich, tasty Crab Stuffing to fill the now-empty shells of his lobster tails. The crab is a great complement to the lobster, and helps to add a bit more substance to what amounts to 3 or 4 bites of lobster meat. You could also use the same stuffing to serve with crab tops and make "stuffed crab", or just broil it in a small ramekin with a bit of cheese on top, and you'll have a wonderful dish all on its own!

To fluff your lobster tail out of the shell, use a pair of sharp kitchen sheers and cut down the top of the tail almost, but not quite, to the tail fin. If desired, you can also snip off the little "swimmers" underneath the tail, but that's just for appearance - it doesn't change the taste or cooking. Once you have the shell cut, gently run your fingers down the sides and separate the shell from the meat. Then put your fingers under the front and push and wiggle until the meat lifts out of the shell.

Take at look at this video for a great illustration of how to remove the meat from the shell - but don't follow their broiling instructions for THIS recipe, or the crab stuffing won't cook enough. (video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amcCHnRUfIE )

This is a wonderful presentation, especially with larger tails. Sure to make a big hit at your dinner table! And the taste is fantastic!!

Note - Don't splurge on "Jumbo" or "Colossal" or lump crab meat. You're going to be mixing this with Cracker breading and stuffing it inside the tail, where it won't been seen. Use "claw" for its stronger flavor (recommended), or "backfin" or "special", whichever is less expensive.

Ingredients:
2 ea 4+ oz Lobster Tails
1 package (6-8 oz) Claw Crab Meat (see note above)
~ 2/3 of a "stick" (internal stack) of Ritz or similar buttery Crackers (~2 oz)
6 Tbs (~3/4 stick) of Salted Butter
1/4 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 tsp ground Black Pepper

Old Bay Seasoning
Smoked Paprika

Directions:
(See detailed directions above and in video link). Cut down top of Lobster Tail and gently fluff/flop the meat out of the shell, leaving it still attached at the tail.

Make the Crab Stuffing
Pour the crab meat into a small bowl.
Crush the crackers by hand into crumbs, and add to the crab meat.
Melt the butter in the microwave (30-40 seconds) or small sauce pan.
Add the pepper, and Old Bay seasoning to the butter. {Note - Old Bay contains salt, so between that and the salted butter, no need to add any more!}
Pour all but ~1 Tbs of the butter over the cracker-crab mixture (reserve the last to baste the lobster meat, as instructed below).
Mix the crab, crackers, and butter together until thoroughly combined.

Assemble and Bake
Stuff the empty tail shells full of the crab stuffing mixture.
Lay the lobster meat back over the top of the tail shell
Baste the meat with the reserved butter
Sprinkle a bit a little of the Old Bay and a few dashes of Smoked Paprika over the meat.

Bake at 350 for about 17 minutes for a 4-5 oz tail. For larger tails, add about 1 minute per additional oz.

In the last minute, switch the oven to "Broil" mode, and watch it cook until the meat gets a bit of golden brown on the edges and center (see photo above).

Serve immediately with melted butter on the side!