Moreton Bay Bugs with Garlic Butter
Split slipper lobsters, grilled with garlic butter and served with lemon. A Queensland seafood favorite with a distinctive flat shape.
- prep
- 15 min
- cook
- 10 min
- total
- 25 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- medium
Moreton Bay bugs look nothing like a typical lobster, flat and shovel-shaped rather than long-tailed, but the sweet, tender meat inside is every bit as good, and Queensland takes real pride in them.
A quick char cut-side down before the garlic butter goes on gives a little extra flavor beyond just steaming the flesh in butter from the start.
Part of our 20 best Australian recipes list.
method
If not already done, split each bug in half lengthwise with kitchen shears or a sharp knife, and remove the dark vein running along the tail meat.
Mix the melted butter, garlic and lemon juice in a bowl.
Heat the barbecue or a grill pan to medium-high heat.
Place the bugs cut-side down first and grill for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly charred.
Flip the bugs shell-side down, brush generously with the garlic butter, and grill for 3 to 4 minutes more, until the flesh is opaque and just firm.
Brush with any remaining garlic butter, scatter with parsley, and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
chef's tips
- Moreton Bay bugs are not a true lobster, despite the nickname. They are a type of slipper lobster with a flat, shovel-shaped body, and the meat is sweet and tender, similar in character to lobster or crayfish.
- Ask your fishmonger to split and clean them if you are not confident doing it yourself; it is a quick job for someone experienced with shellfish.
- Cut-side down first gives you a little char and caramelization before the butter goes on, rather than steaming the flesh from the start.
- These overcook quickly on a hot grill, so watch closely once the flesh starts to turn from translucent to opaque.