First time smoking Maine lobster tails & crab – Wood and temp recommendations?

[seoeagle]

Hey everyone,

I usually stick to the classics (brisket, pork shoulder, ribs), but I’m looking to switch things up this weekend and try my hand at smoking some premium seafood.

I decided to skip the local grocery store since their fish case has been looking a little sad lately. I ended up ordering directly from a wholesale restaurant supplier called Yazd Seafood Since they recently opened up to retail. I have a batch of wild-caught Maine cold-water lobster tails and a tub of fresh jumbo lump crabmeat arriving tomorrow, packed on dry ice.

Since these are pretty high-end cuts, I really do not want to ruin them with overpowering smoke.

I have a few questions for the seafood smokers here:

1. Wood pairing: I have Apple, Cherry, and Hickory on hand, but I can run to the store for Alder if that’s better. What’s the best wood for sweet shellfish?
2. Temps and Times: For the lobster tails, I was thinking of butterflying them and smoking at 225°F until they hit an internal temp of about 140°F. Does that sound right, or should I go hotter and faster so the meat doesn't dry out?
3. The Crabmeat: I want to do a smoked crab dip in a cast iron skillet. Should I mix the crab in raw and let the whole dip smoke, or just lightly cold-smoke the lump meat first before mixing?

Any tips, rub recipes, or advice would be hugely appreciated. I'll make sure to post some photos of the finished cook this weekend!

 

[DRKsmoking]

Are the tails coming to you raw , or already cooked, if already cooked , I think smoking them might dry them out too much

If raw tails, slice or cut through the top of the shell spread and pull the meat up some and coat with your choice of flavoured butter or oils etc, for me about 20 minutes at 275 deg, also depends on the size of the tails,
But my wife would sooner have them boiled/steamed, then into the butter or mix of her choice.

David

 

[Brokenhandle]

Can't help out very much but I would think seafood could get over smoked very quickly. Would hate for you to ruin some great seafood!

Ryan

 

[WaterRat]

Fyi, the crab meat is almost certainly already cooked. My Wife is from Maryland and we get jumbo lump several times a year, I have never seen it raw. The only time we get raw crab meat is when the critters are still moving

 

[normanaj]

Can't speak on the lobster as every one I've ever cooked was alive when I purchased it and was then steamed or boiled. I've made smoked lobster dishes after the fact but the lobster itself wasn't smoked.

My advice on the crab meat is don't smoke. Really good crab meat has a delicate almost sweet flavor that I think would be compromised by adding smoke to it imo. You can always make a dip and introduce some smoke flavor by way of adding a smoked spice (paprika) or other smoked ingredient.

 

[1MoreFord]

Be careful cookin' lobster with fire. While second hand info, everything I've heard about it sez they go from great to gross in the blink of an eye.

 

[rjob]

Jeff has a recipe on his site.

Smoked Lobster Tails with Lemon Butter and a Kick

Apple smoke and seasoned lemon butter bring out the sweetness of lobster tails. Follow the shell-prep steps and add optional habanero for a little heat.

www.smoking-meat.com

 

[jcam222]

I love smoking darn near any meat but I could not bring myself to smoke crab or lobster. To me it's much to much of a delicate flavor for smoking.