The crew couldn’t get themselves to throw out our lobster shells. So they boiled them up like they would crab shells until they had extracted a lot of the flavor; this broth was the basis for a sotanghon soup with some veggies, noodles and some shredded chicken. It tasted pretty good, though the lobster broth was a touch bitter for my taste. At least we really got a lot of mileage from the lobsters… nothing wasted at all!
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It’s amazing how much mileage you can get out the lobster! I make a bisque that goes well with a crusty french bread. And the best is an infused oil from the the shells and claws (except the head) that keeps in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. I would drizzle this lobster oil on salads, soups, and pasta.
MM, I forgot to ask: You mentioned you didn’t like the bitter taste of the broth. Did your crew use the heads as well? I find including them causes this harsh aftertaste and definitely distracts from the delicate lobster flavour we are familiar with.
Yes, they threw in the heads as well, though they took out the “guts” inside. But yes, it was a bit bitter. I think that maybe roasting the shells in the oven for a while might be better for flavor… but overall, these were incredibly well-used lobsters… :)
Great mileage. Do not roast any shell fish for stock. Keep them in the stock pot raw or if frozen thaw them first and drown it in water. For beef and pork bones yes roast them it gives you a more flavorful stock but not shell fish.