Drizzle, Dip, Dunk: The Best Sauces and Butters for Maine Lobster (2024)

Sweet lobster meat is a delight in itself. The distinctive taste of great quality Maine Lobster should sometimes not be disturbed by a strong lobster sauce. Sometimes, simple is super, sophisticated, and stylish. Find the best lobster sauce, butter, or dip to impress any dinner guest.

Whether you’re creating something simple to delicately complement the flavor of Maine Lobster meat or you’re getting innovative and experimenting with new flavors and ingredients to spice up some lobster tails, let us help inspire you!

Sauces for Lobster Meat Served Hot

Once you have your lobster cooking method identified, it’s time to pick what kind of sauce or dip you want. For the following suggestions, a hot lobster recipe is best.

Classic Thermidor Style Sauce.

Thermidor style lobster butter is a slightly lighter and less expensive option, with a nod to its opulent French origin. Try some white wine, Dijon mustard, lemon, Parmesan, paprika, infused into some butter.

How to Make Clarified Butter: In a saucepan over low heat melt desired amount of butter until a foamy layer forms on top, and skim off. Pour butter oil into a container leaving any milky residue at the bottom of the saucepan. While butter is still warm brush over steamed lobster tails or use as a baste for grilled lobster.

FlavoredButters

Now, as we talk about butter, there are generally two options. The first being, to blend your ingredients with the cold butter and roll into a log to later melt onto your lobster (keep in the fridge for a few days, freeze or even wrap in some rustic paper, tie in a ribbon and give as gift!) The second being drawn butter (also known as clarified butter or ghee.) Butter is heated and then the solids are removed, leaving the clear, drawn butter, this can then be infused with lots of aromatic, oil based ingredients for fantastic flavor.

● Lemon – a classic, and in fact any citrusy fruit can be experimented with such as lime, orange or even grapefruit. Try our lobster lemon butter recipe here (why not try adding some capers for a twist?)

● Shallot and Tarragon ‐ although perhaps not the most popular of the herb family, Tarragon makes up one half of this well‐known lobster sauce duo. It’s popular because it works, but it’s still generally a flavor that pleasantly surprises, with its herby perfume matching so well with a creamy butter.

● Escargot Herb Butter. No, the sauce itself isn’t made from our small, shelled friends, but rather the sauce is usually designed for them, but works perfectly for lobster too! Cook up some shallots, plenty of garlic, mushrooms and maybe even a little Parma ham. Once cool add to your butter along with mustard and fresh herbs (try tarragon, fennel, parsley). Delicious!

Go Asian. Asian flavors work well with lobster as long as you’re careful not to overdo the strong ingredients. Chili and ginger, for example, can risk overpowering the taste of the lobster. Rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, a little ginger and a dash of sugar will make a fantastic dipping sauce. Particularly for tempura lobster bites. Or try a chili paste mixed with lime juice, a little brown sugar and fish sauce.

Sauces for Lobster Meat Served Cold

You can’t beat a homemade mayonnaise, béarnaise or hollandaise sauce any day of the week. Accompanying lobster makes them even more special. Whether it’s a salad or a pre‐dinner canapé, try one of our cold sauces for lobster.

• Truffled mayonnaise (just a few drops of truffle oil)
• Garlic and basil mayo
• Spicy avocado dip (with Greek yogurt, hot sauce or fresh chili)
• Sour cream with exotic fruits (try pineapple)

Sauces for Lobster Tails

You can, of course, apply all of the above to tasty lobster tails. However, lobster tails offer the budding lobster chef the opportunity to be a little more creative.

Cheese fondue. Although lobster and fondue in the same sentence may bring back thoughts of the eighties, retro is definitely in. Get your cheese melted, and why not add a little crispy bacon?

Wine. Important for any party. So if you’re entertaining, wine-based sauces are popular for lobster tails.Try a buttery garlic sauce with white wine, or perhaps lemon and shallots. Step it up a notch and try a creamy Champagne based sauce, if you want your night to have real sparkle.

Spicy. Devil your tails with peppercorns, Tabasco or chili. A creamy tomato base would be perfect for this kind of sauce.

Want to find out more? Visit our lobster recipes section or see the range of delicious Maine Lobster wehave on offer.