Lobster Stock

Lobster Stock

This is a recipe that makes use of the leftover lobster bodies and shells and is a great tool in the kitchen for using up all the goodness of a lobster! The bodies make a flavorful stock, not unlike bones, or beef, or chicken, (or turkey) and this is the secret to great sauces, risottos, and soups, and LOBSTER BISQUE!

Having a great recipe using the shells is the first step to deliciousness.

Stocks are meant to be a base for another recipe, while broths you can sip on their own. 

If you can’t make a stock the day after your lobster feast, save the shells and freeze them until you are ready to make stock. 

4 lobster shells, cooked leftover bodies

2 cups brandy or triple sec 

4 Tbsp. olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

6 stalks celery, chopped

3 medium carrots, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 bulb fennel tops, chopped

1 cup white wine, or dry sherry

2 oranges, cut into quarters (skin on) 

6-7 sprigs of thyme 

4 bay leaves

5 plum tomatoes, chopped

16 cups water

Preheat the oven to 400 ℉.

Break the lobster shells into pieces. Spread them out on a baking sheet and pour over the brandy or triple sec. Bake the lobsters in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. While the lobster shells are roasting in the oven, heat olive oil in the bottom of the stock pot and add onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and fennel tops and cook to soften. Remove the lobster shells from the oven and add to the stock pot. 

Add the wine or sherry and allow it to steam off for 3 to 4 minutes. 

Add the oranges, thyme, bay leaves, tomatoes, and water and cook uncovered or partially covered for 2 hours. This should be a soft simmer, not a rolling boil.