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All it takes is leftover lobster shells and some delicious flavorings to make my Homemade Lobster Stock Recipe! You won't believe how easy it is to make a luxurious, restaurant-worthy lobster stock that will take any bisque, chowder, or soup to the next level!
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I'll never forget the first traditional Cajun crawfish boil I had the chance to go to. From the state of the guests and the kitchen itself, you'd think a seafood tornado had gone through. It was messy, chaotic, and one of the best meals of my life!
More importantly, it left behind a mountain of discarded crawfish shells. So what did the host do? Well, hand them out to guests to bring home for homemade stock, of course! Ever since, I've been kind of crazy about shellfish broths!
There's really no beating lobster broth. The incredibly unique taste of lobster combined with stew vegetables and tomato paste creates a glorious blend of flavors. And, between lobster bisque, chowders, lobster risotto, gumbo, or more, you'll never run out of lobster stock uses!
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Making your own stock reduces food waste. Shellfish can be expensive, so make use of every last drop of flavor! You can do the same with chicken by following my Chicken Bone Broth recipe!
- It makes incredibly rich, delicious meals out of leftovers and scraps!
- Restaurant-worthy flavor for pennies!
- It's perfect for using up leftovers!
Lobster Stock from Shells Ingredients
- Shellfish Shells: Any type of shell will work, but of course this recipe is tuned for lobster! However, you can also use shrimp, crawfish, clam, or crab shells. Make sure to remove any organs and internal structures.
- Water: You'll need enough water to cover the shells and more; I used about eight cups for four lobster shells. Be prepared to add more if the stock reduces too much.
- Olive Oil: A little oil is used to saute the vegetables. I recommend olive oil as it has a lovely flavor that helps make the stock sooth and silky.
- Yellow Onion: In my experience, yellow onion has the best flavor, as it's nice and sweet and doesn't discolor the stock.
- Carrots: Chopped carrots will bring in an earthy, sweet flavor that does any stock good!
- Celery: The celery will be strained out, but adds a great depth of flavor. Don't worry about it looking pretty when you chop it!
- Garlic Cloves: A few chopped garlic cloves will simmer in the broth for a bit of added bite.
- Tomato Paste: Tomato paste is a critical component that makes this stock into nearly a bisque!
- Fresh Thyme: Fresh herbs will add the best flavor, but you can use dried, too. If you're using dried, use ½ a teaspoon.
- Bay Leaf: What's a good stock without a bay leaf? Don't skip it - it adds great flavor!
- Peppercorns: I highly recommend using whole peppercorns, as they'll add a tasty bite without dissolving into the stock and making it cloudy. Plus, they have the freshest flavor!
- Salt: You'll need to add a fair bit of salt to this stock to ensure it has a strong and well emphasized flavor. Use kosher or sea salt to avoid any metallic flavors.
How to Make Lobster Stock
- Add the olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Once it's nice and hot, add in the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and saute for about 3 minutes, until fragrant.
Optional: Sear the shellfish shells before adding the veggies.
- Add in the tomato paste, and let it cook down for a few more minutes.
- Add enough water to cover the shells by 2 inches (I used about 8 cups total), then toss in the thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Mix, then add the shellfish shells.
- Bring the stock to a boil, then quickly reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for at least 1-2 hours, checking frequently to ensure the water doesn't diminish too much; it should reduce by about half.
- Once the stock is reduced and flavorful, pour the broth through a very fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth and discard solids.
- Store in the fridge for up to 3 days, or the freezer for 2 months. Check below for how to safely chill stock for storing!
Ready to get cooking? Try out this stock in my super-easy Shrimp Bisque!
Lobster Stock Recipe Tips
- Shellfish goes from delicious to inedible quickly once overcooked, so be sure to boil only very briefly and keep it at a gentle simmer!
- Don't fuss with the stock! Once it's all combined, stop touching it. Over-mixing can lead to cloudy stock.
- For extra flavor, sear the shells in the pot before cooking the veggies. The browning will make the stock extra flavorful. You can also do this in a roasting pan in the oven!
- If the shells contain whole heads (such as lobster or shrimp heads), remove any internal structures before adding them to the pot.
- Unlike other stocks, lobster stock cannot be made in a pressure cooker. The high temperature easily overcooks the lobster and leaves it tasting bad.
Storing and Reheating Homemade Stock
Refrigerator: Stock will last 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container or jar. I recommend using it quickly to preserve the freshest flavor, as old seafood is never good!
Freezer: My favorite way to store leftover stock! Freeze the stock in plastic containers or pour into an ice cube tray, then pop the cubes into a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Then just add the amount you need into a pot whenever it's time to cook!
It's a little known fact that stock needs to be chilled very quickly to prevent bacteria growth! The best way to do this is with an ice water bath. To do this, fill the sink with very cold water and ice cubes. Then place the entire stock pot into the sink, and swap out the ice as it melts for the next 30 minutes. Bottle and store immediately once cool!
FAQ
The pressure cooker is great for a lot of kinds of stock, but I definitely don't recommend it for lobster and shellfish stock! Pressure cookers get too hot too fast, which rapidly overcooks lobster and leaves it tasting and smelling disgusting. Instead, stick to the tried and true stock pot on the stove method!
You can absolutely use other kinds of shellfish, and all parts of the shell! I've made stock with lobster (including the shell from the carapace, tail, head, and claws), shrimp, crab, and crawfish. It's a great way to use leftover lobster shells from big lobster dinners, and make sure to save the shells from crawfish boils!
It's totally okay if there's a little meat left. Just make sure to remove the head sac, which tastes bitter and disgusting and makes the whole pot taste bad. When in doubt, you can remove the entire head from the shells.
More Easy Shellfish Recipes
- Steamed Crab Legs - One of my favorite party-pleasing recipes, complete with garlic butter dip! Save those crab leg shells for stock!
- Grilled Crab Legs - Just like my steamed recipe, but this time tooled for big backyard BBQs! The charred legs are perfectly roasted for a flavorful broth.
- Homemade Lobster Ravioli - Seriously one of my favorite meals I've ever made. And by steaming your own lobster, you'll have plenty of shells for stock, too!
- Air Fryer Lobster Tail - What can't an air fryer perfectly cook? Lobster tails in the air fryer come out perfectly roasted in no time at all!
- Shrimp Linguini - Make my reader-favorite shrimp linguini with fresh, shell-on shrimp and save those shells for soup!
If you enjoyed the recipe, leave a comment and a rating below!
Lobster Stock from Leftovers
Video
Equipment
- Cheesecloth
Ingredients
- 4 Shellfish shells - from shrimp, lobster, crab, or crawfish
- 8 cups Water
- 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 large Yellow onion - roughly chopped
- 2 Carrots - roughly chopped
- 3 stalks Celery - roughly chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic - roughly chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato paste
- 3 sprigs Thyme - fresh
- 1 Bay leaf
- 10 Black Peppercorns - whole
- 2 teaspoons Salt
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil. Once the oil is hot, saute onions, carrots, celery, and garlic until fragrant, about 3 minutes.2 Tablespoons Olive oil,1 large Yellow onion,2 Carrots,3 stalks Celery,2 cloves Garlic
- Add tomato paste and cook down for a few minutes.1 Tablespoon Tomato paste
- Pour in enough water to cover the shells by 2 inches (I used 8 cups total). Toss in fresh thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, and your shellfish shells.4 Shellfish shells,3 sprigs Thyme,1 Bay leaf,10 Black Peppercorns,2 teaspoons Salt,8 cups Water
- Bring to a boil, then quickly reduce to a simmer for at least 1-2 hours.
- Once the stock is flavorful, strain the shells, vegetables, and peppercorns using a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth.
- Chill quickly by placing the stock container in an ice bath. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for 2 months.
Notes
-
- Shellfish goes from delicious to inedible quickly once overcooked, so be sure to boil only very briefly and keep it at a gentle simmer!
-
- Don't fuss with the stock! Once it's all combined, stop touching it. Over-mixing can lead to cloudy stock.
-
- For extra flavor, sear the shells in the pot before cooking the veggies. The browning will make the stock extra flavorful. You can also do this in a roasting pan in the oven!
-
- If the shells contain whole heads (such as lobster or shrimp heads), remove any internal structures before adding them to the pot.
-
- Unlike other stocks, lobster stock cannot be made in a pressure cooker; the high temperature easily overcooks the lobster and leaves it tasting bad.
Don from CT says
I didn't actually pay attention to the portions, I'm someone who does everything to taste.
But the list of ingredients is great. I hadn't thought about tomato paste or whole pepper corns. They really make it better.
I disagree about the head sack making things bitter or bad. I've always thrown in the entire head and it is delicious.
You get a HUGE amount of flavor from the body/head.
Rather than salt, try adding saltiness with good Vietnamese fish sauce. It really makes this next level.
Isabel Laessig says
Thanks for the great feedback, Don! Happy cooking! ❤️
– Isabel | Sunday Supper Movement