Lobster Stock Food

LOBSTER STOCK 101

Steps:

• Remove head sacs (behind eyes) in carapaces; discard. Remove any green tomalley or red roe; reserve for another use or discard. Wrap shells in a clean kitchen towel. Using a rolling pin, meat pounder, or hammer, break shells (some large pieces might remain).
• Heat oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add shells; cook until fragrant (do not let blacken), about 3 minutes.
• Stir in onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, and fennel (if desired). Cook, without stirring, until vegetables begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, wine (if desired), peppercorns, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf.
• Fill pot two-thirds with cold water (about 4 1/2 quarts). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer. Skim froth from surface with a ladle. Cook until broth is aromatic and flavorful, about 1 hour 45 minutes.
• Carefully pour stock through a fine sieve set over a large bowl or container. Discard solids; let stock cool completely. If not using immediately, refrigerate in airtight containers up to 3 days, or freeze up to 2 months.

RICH AND FLAVORFUL LOBSTER STOCK

Steps:

• Enjoy.

LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Split lobster tails lengthwise with sharp kitchen shears. Remove meat and set aside. Add empty shells to stockpot or 4-qt sauce pan. Cover with seafood stock and water. Add Herbes de Provence and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat as low as you can while still maintaining a simmer. Allow to simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes.
• Add the lobster meat, cover with lid, and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove when meat is bright red and white. If any part is still translucent, continue to simmer until cooked. Remove meat from pot and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into small pieces and refrigerate until ready to add to bisque.
• While the lobster stock is cooking, you can begin to make the bisque at the same time.
• Heat butter over medium high heat in a large pot. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Stir to coat in butter and cook until soft, about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
• When vegetables are just about done and begin to stick to the bottom of the pan, add garlic, stir to combine, and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Add tomato paste, stir well to coat vegetables, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle over flour over mixture, stir well to combine, and cook while stirring frequently to prevent burning for an additional 2 minutes. The mixture should really start sticking to the bottom of the pan and turning brown. Do not allow it to burn.
• Add wine to deglaze pan. Stir well with a flat bottom wooden spoon, scraping the bottom of the pan. Allow in wine to simmer for several minutes. The liquid will reduce and the mixture will become thick.
• Set a fine mesh sieve or strainer over your pot and pour the lobster stock through the strainer into your pot. Discard shells. Stir broth into bisque base until well combined. Reduce heat to lowest setting to maintain a gentle simmer and allow to cook for about 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop. Stir occasionally during this time.
• Remove bisque from heat. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup right in the pot. Alternatively, transfer to a blender to purée and then return bisque to pot.
• Add heavy cream and chopped cooked lobster pieces to bisque and stir well. Heat over medium-low heat until bisque is heated through. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Serve hot with crusty bread on the side.

LOBSTER STOCK

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the lobster shells and sauté for 1 minute. Add enough water so that the pot is 2/3 full, then add the onion, bay leaves and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for several hours or overnight. (The longer it simmers, the better.) Using tongs, remove and discard the large shells, then strain the stock through a fine sieve twice.

LOBSTER STOCK

Steps:

• Wrap lobster shells in old kitchen towel and crush with rolling pin into walnut-sized pieces.
• Drain shells in a colander set over a bowl to catch excess juice. Reserve the liquid.
• Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in large, heavy stockpot. Add lobster shells and stir for 5 minutes, until slightly golden.
• Add onion and garlic and cook until vegetables have begun to soften, 3-4 minutes.
• Add tomato paste and stir continuously for 2 more minutes.
• Add tomato juice, water, peppercorns, bay leaf and reserved lobster juice. Simmer mixture, partially covered, over medium heat for 25 minutes.
• Strain stock through colander into clean pan, pressing firmly on solids to extract any remaining liquid. Discard solids.
• Bring stock to a simmer and reduce to about 1-1/2 gallons of lobster stock. Strain through sieve.

LOBSTER STOCK

Steps:

• 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• hours. 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.

LOBSTER STOCK

Steps:

• Bring a large stockpot of water to a rolling boil, add lobsters, and cook at a fast boil until done, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of iced water to cool, then remove and reserve tail and claw meat for another use. Do this messy job over a bowl to reserve drippings. Crush shells, which will be the base for the stock, using a mallet or hammer, then grind as fine as possible with reserved drippings in a food processor.
• Melt butter and oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Cook onions, carrots, celery, and salt until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in crushed shells, white wine, and Madeira. Turn heat to high and cook until liquid is reduced by half.
• Add clam juice and tomato juice. Bring to a boil and carefully skim and discard foam that rises to surface. Add remaining ingredients and cook at a simmer, uncovered, 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Strain through a fine sieve and refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze indefinitely.

LOBSTER STOCK

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large stockpot over high heat until it begins to smoke. Add the lobster shells and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the brandy and sherry and boil until completely evaporated. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add the tomatoes, onion, celery, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, and 3 quarts cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, skimming the surface occasionally, for 45 minutes.
• Strain the stock though a strainer lined with cheesecloth into a large bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids. Let the stock come to room temperature; then cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.