Lobster Oil and Stock

Last week I posted the boil recipe we use. (Click HERE for details) Now it’s time to share what I do with the shells once we’ve stuffed ourselves with the meat.

One of the most flavorful parts of the crawfish and lobster has to be the shells! To make them stretch a little more and enjoy the flavor I like to make stock and put it in the freezer to pull out in the winter time. I do warn you that if you have a spicy batch like we do it’ll smell like you are doing a crawfish boil in your house so you’ll need to open the window and the back door or cook this outside. Overall it’s super easy and delish!!

Lobster Stock
(Adapted from Epicurious)

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shells and heads from 2 cooked 1 1/4-pound lobsters
1 large carrot
1 onion
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
8 cups water

With back of a heavy knife crush lobster shells and heads. Chop carrot and onion.

In an 8-quart heavy kettle heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and brown lobster shells and heads, mashing with a wooden spoon to help break up, about 15 minutes.

Stir in carrot, onion, tomato paste, and wine and simmer until most of wine is evaporated.

Add water and simmer until liquid is reduced to about 4 cups, about 1 hour.

Pour stock through a fine sieve into a heat proof bowl.

Stock may be made 3 days ahead and cooled, uncovered, before being chilled, covered. Stock keeps, frozen, 3 months.

The oil is rather easy as well. Toss it with some pasta or use it how you normally would flavored oil. I did mine on a larger scale since we had extra carcasses available, but I forgot to take a final picture. The oil turns into a pretty golden orange color.

Lobster Oil
(Adapted from Epicurious)

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1 lobster carcass
4 cups canola oil
1 tarragon sprig
1 4-inch strip of orange zest

Coarsely crush 2 lobster carcasses with a mortar and pestle, then sauté with 1/2 cup canola oil, the tarragon sprig, and the orange zest in a 3-quart pot over moderately high heat until very brightly colored, 5 minutes.

Add the remaining canola oil and bring to a simmer. Simmer on low heat 40 minutes.

Strain through a cheesecloth-lined fine sieve. Cool and refrigerate up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 1 month.