Do not drop frozen tails into boiling water unless you enjoy rubber bands disguised as lobster. Thaw them in the fridge overnight, or if you’re in a panic (hello, Tuesday), seal them in a bag and dunk in cold water for 30 minutes. Pat them dry. A wet tail is a sad tail—it steams instead of boils, and nobody wants soggy lobster.
Now, here’s a pro tip: cut the top of the shell lengthwise with kitchen scissors. Don’t cut all the way through the meat—just the shell. This lets the heat in and makes the tail curl up like a fancy cinnamon roll. If you skip this step, the tail will explode. Okay, it won’t explode, but it’ll look like a sad, deformed shrimp.
