Lobster Stock

You know your priorities are a little out of wack when you get really excited to buy two fresh lobsters... just to make stock out of their shells.

An article in the New York Times a few months ago discussed the falling prices of lobsters, but noted that home cooks were often terrified of boiling the lobsters alive to cook them.

I was a vegetarian for 13 years. Boiling a living creature is just not going to happen in my kitchen, not now, not ever.

But I'm also a bit of a hypocrite, because I love lobster. So, if you take our recently lowered prices and add on a few dollars to receive a cooked, whole lobster from your local fishmonger, you've got a serious dinner on your hands.

Unfortunately, though, buying precooked lobsters isn't much to brag about on a food blog. So with our leftover shells, claws and lobster bodies, I made lobster stock.

Because lobsters are so low in fat, lobster stock is surprisingly easy to get right. It requires very little skimming to get a beautiful, clear stock, and just some thorough straining at the end. And you wind up with this beautiful base for soups and stews that would cost nearly as much as the lobsters themselves if you bought it in a store.

(And if you do insist on cooking them yourself, the New York Times suggests putting them in your freezer for 15 minutes, and then slicing them down the middle.)

Lobster Stock

INGREDIENTS

2 whole lobster shells, meat removed

1 medium-sized carrot, diced

1 small onion, diced

10 cups water, or more as needed

DIRECTIONS

Heat all ingredients in a stock pot on low heat, keeping the mixture at a simmer. Allow to cook for 60-90 minutes, or until the water is colored and fragrant. Strain thoroughly (I strained mine about 8 times), and then return the stock to the pot to reduce. When the stock is reduced to 4 cups or less, cool and refrigerate or freeze.