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Bahamas · Spiny Lobster

Bahamian Grilled Lobster Tails

Grilled Crawfish

In the Bahamas spiny lobster is just “crawfish,” and the best way to eat it is split, brushed with lime-garlic butter and a little goat pepper, and grilled right on the dock.

  • Prep 15 min
  • Cook 10 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy
Photo: Prayitno / Thank you for (12 millions +) view from Los Angeles, USA · CC BY 2.0
Served with: Bahamian Peas ’n’ Rice ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the lobster

For the lime-garlic butter

Method

Step by step, the way it is done on the island.

  1. Make the butter. Stir the melted butter with the garlic, lime juice, goat pepper, thyme and paprika. Keep a few spoonfuls aside for serving.
  2. Split the tails. With heavy kitchen shears or a big knife, cut each tail in half lengthwise through the shell. Pull out the dark vein and sprinkle the meat with salt.
  3. Heat the grill. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high, about 400 °F (200 °C), and oil the grates.
  4. Grill. Brush the meat with butter and lay the tails meat side down for 4 minutes. Flip, brush again and grill shell side down 4–5 minutes more, until the meat is white all the way through, 140 °F (60 °C).
  5. Serve. Spoon the saved butter over the hot tails and serve with lime wedges and peas ’n’ rice.

On the side

The side dish that belongs with it, full recipe included.

The Bahamas

Bahamian Peas ’n’ Rice

Peas ’n’ Rice

Pigeon peas and rice browned with salt pork, tomato and thyme until the rice is a deep golden brown. No Bahamian fish fry is complete without a big scoop.

  • Prep 10 min
  • Cook 40 min
  • Serves 6
  • Level Easy

You need

  • 4 oz (115 g) salt pork or bacon, diced
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • ½ green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dried)
  • 1 tbsp browning sauce (optional)
  • 1 can (15 oz) pigeon peas, with liquid
  • 2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed
  • 3 cups water (about)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ hot pepper, minced (optional)

How to make it

  1. Render. In a heavy pot, cook the salt pork in the oil over medium heat until crisp, about 6 minutes.
  2. Season base. Add the onion, pepper and celery and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, thyme, browning and hot pepper and cook 2 minutes until dark red.
  3. Peas and rice. Add the pigeon peas with their liquid, the water and salt and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice.
  4. Steam. Cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat 25 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Fluff and serve.

Photo: Xaymacan · CC BY-SA 4.0

More ways to cook Spiny Lobster

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

Fornells, Menorca, SpainMenorcan Lobster Stew
Peniche, PortugalPortuguese Brothy Lobster Rice
Piñones, Puerto RicoMofongo Stuffed with Lobster Creole
Key West, FloridaKey West Grilled Spiny Lobster with Key Lime Butter