The Florida Sport Lobster Season is always the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July. All one needs to join this sporting scene is a bully net—a regular net with the handle bent to form a ninety-degree angle. Just trap the lobster beneath the ring of the net, and when he kicks his tail up into the net, sweep him up and swoop him into the boat! If you keep some of this butter concoction on hand you can be ready to grill just about any seafood with a slather of citrus butter. (It’s handy to pack some in the cooler for grilling out because it does not leak like marinades and sauces might.)

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

　　1/4 cup olive oil

　　2 large shallots, quartered

　　4 garlic cloves, halved

　　1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

　　1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　4 Florida spiny lobster tails, split in half lengthwise

　　

Step 1

Heat a grill to high.

　　

Step 2

Put the butter, oil, shallots, garlic, cayenne, orange zest, and salt and pepper to taste in a food processor and pulse until almost smooth. Spread 1 heaping teaspoon of the seasoned butter over each lobster tail.

　　

Step 3

In a small saucepan set over low heat, melt the remaining seasoned butter; keep warm.

　　

Step 4

Put the lobster tails, shell side down, on the grill. Reduce the heat to medium and grill for 8 minutes. Turn and grill until the meat is just opaque in the center, about 2 minutes. Serve with the melted seasoned butter.

　　

Notes

Step 5

Serve these tails with steamed vegetables and bread to take advantage of all that buttery lobster-flavored sauce that pools on the plate.

　　

Step 6

These also go well with Grilled Green Onions (page 126).

　　A Southerly Course