Matteo’s Recipes - Langosta Caribeña
Lobster tastes like the sea remembering something important. Salt. Sun. Depth. A sweetness that is quiet at first then unmistakable. In most places it is a luxury. A celebration saved for a rare night. Here in the Yucatán it is simply part of life. Fishermen bring it in at dawn still cold from the current. Piled in crates. Wrapped in wet rope. Sold with the same calm as tomatoes or chiles.
The Caribbean spiny lobster is leaner than the ones from the cold Atlantic. No claws. All its flesh in the tail. The meat is firm and clean with a sweetness that tastes honest. It carries the voice of the reef. The warmth of the water. The long patience of coral.
To cook it in butter is to honor that flavor. Butter softens the edges and lets the sea come through. White wine lifts it. Gives it light. Gives it breath. Together they make a poaching bath that holds the lobster gently and leaves the taste of the sea untouched.
Recipe (Serves 4)
Ingredients
4 Caribbean lobster tails about 200 to 250 g each
350 g unsalted butter
150 ml dry white wine
1 garlic clove smashed
1 lime cut in wedges
5 g sea salt
Method
Melt the butter over the lowest heat with the garlic and salt. Pour in the white wine and let it warm until the alcohol slips away. Keep the mixture gentle. It should never boil.
Split each lobster tail lengthwise so the meat lies open.
Submerge the meat side down in the warm butter and wine.
Poach 12 to 15 minutes until opaque and tender.
Serve with warm poaching liquid and a squeeze of lime.