Lobster Stock Recipe

Lobster Stock

Recipe provided by Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger

View the step-by-step preparation of this recipe.

• Difficulty: Easy
• Yield: 6 3/4 cups
• Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 of 16 servings): Calories 282, Total Fat 11 g, Saturated Fat 5 g, Carbohydrates 7 g, Dietary Fiber 1 g, Sugars 3 g, Protein 31 g, Cholesterol 232 mg, Sodium 963 mg
• Total time: 2 hours 30 minutes
• Preparation time: 30 minutes
• Cooking time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

• 4 lobsters (each about 1 1/2 pounds) or 4 pounds crayfish
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 medium onions, finely diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 1 cup Madeira wine
• 5 cups fish stock, clam juice, or water
• 3 cups tomato juice
• 1 head of garlic, halved horizontally, skins on
• 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, including stems
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous boil. Add lobsters and cook rapidly for approximately 10 minutes until done. Place cooked lobsters in an ice bath to cool, then remove tail and claw meat to save for other dishes. Perform this step over a bowl to save any juices. Break the lobster shells using a mallet or hammer, then grind them finely along with the collected juices in a food processor to form the foundation of the stock.
2. In a large stockpot, melt butter with olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, and salt, cooking until vegetables turn golden, about 10 minutes. Mix in the crushed shells, white wine, and Madeira. Raise heat to high and reduce the liquid by half.
3. Pour in clam juice and tomato juice. Bring the mixture to a boil, skimming off any foam from the surface. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
4. Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve. Refrigerate for up to two days or freeze for long-term storage.

© 1997, M.S. Milliken & S. Feniger, all rights reserved