Top: Florida spiny lobster
Bottom: New Zealand and South African spiny lobster

General Description: Rock or spiny lobsters have wide, spiny tails without the large claws of the Atlantic lobster. Thirty species are found worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters, and they are prized for their firm tail meat, which accounts for one-third of their body weight. They are caught with traps and by divers. They are usually sold frozen, or live in season.

The Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) accounts for 65 percent of the American market. Almost all the domestic American catch is from the Florida Keys, where stocks are well-managed. In the Caribbean, many populations are heavily fished and there are significant concerns about illegal catch. The California spiny lobster (P. interruptus) is caught in smaller numbers in California with more from the large Mexican fishery, which is certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. The Baja blue lobster (P. inflatus) is found along the California and Mexican Pacific coasts. Brilliant red-shelled when cooked, the Baja blue lobster’s tail meat is firm, sweet, rich, and supple. The west Australian rock lobster (P. cygnus) is the second most important species in the United States. It is highly sought after and has been certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. The South African lobster (Jasus ialandii) is an important commercial species.

Top: West Austrailian cold-water tail
Bottom: Brazilian warm-water tail

Locale and Season: Brazil and the Caribbean are the main sources of warm-water tails in the United States, while Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa supply most of the cold-water tails. The Caribbean spiny lobster is found from Bermuda to Brazil. Coldwater lobster is in peak season September through mid-March; warm-water lobster January through October. Fresh Florida spiny lobster is in season August through March.

Characteristics: Rock lobster tails range from 5 to 22 ounces with 8 ounces the most common size. Coldwater lobster tails tend to be more tender and succulent than those from warm waters. The cooked tail meat should be white with red tinges, firm, mild, and sweet. Pacific spiny lobsters will have green to orange shells; those from the Atlantic will be brown.

How to Choose: Coldwater tails are more expensive than warmwater tails, so substitutions are sometimes made. Warmwater tails are smooth with a greenish shell; coldwater tails are rough with a deep red-purple shell. If the cooked tail meat is gray rather than white, it was probably dead when processed and should be avoided. The sand vein in the center top of the tail should be completely clean. Any black spots may give the tail a strong ammonia taste. Cold-water tails are usually packed dry-wrapped in plastic. Avoid warmwater lobster tails that have been overglazed with too much ice. Frozen lobster tails tend to be tougher and may be a bit more rubbery than fresh. Caribbean spiny lobsters are often caught by divers who pull off the tails and hold them on ice, resulting in mushy texture if kept on ice too long.

Storage: Freeze well-wrapped for up to 2 months. Defrost frozen lobster tails overnight in the refrigerator and use within 2 days. They may be cooked from frozen, but they tend to be more tender if thawed.

Preparation:
To keep the tails from curling, run a skewer through the length of each tail. Brush thawed tails with butter or olive oil and bake, grill, broil, or steam until the meat is completely opaque, about 10 minutes. Serve with lemon, butter, hollandaise, or other sauce. Or remove cooked meat and sauté or use for crepe filling, salad, pasta sauce, or seafood casseroles.

Suggested Recipe: Broiled Rock Lobster with Citrus Butter (Serves 4): Butterfly 4 thawed rock lobster tails and arrange on a broiler pan shell-side down. Combine 1/4 cup melted butter, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate, 1 tablespoon each grated orange zest and ginger, 1 teaspoon paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Brush over lobster tail meat. Broil about 10 minutes, or until the meat is opaque.

Flavor Affinities: Basil, butter, chiles, cilantro, coconut, coriander, curry, fennel, fenugreek, ginger, lemon, lemongrass, scallion, shallot, soy sauce, tomato, turmeric, wild lime.