In Reply to: Lobster Bisque recipe question posted by seahunt on May 13, 2009 at 13:03:00:

To get the most flavor in lobster stock, you have to cook the
bodies, not just the shells, in it's own boil.

I split the bodies, crack the legs, remove the gills and boil
the pieces, including the liver (awesome lobster flavor) for
only about 30 mins. I find any longer and the taste loses it's
freshness. Don't waste the tails on stock, they have better
uses of course.

Sieve off the bodies/legs into a container, and then filter
through a coffee filter placed in a fine mesh collander. This
will make it a clearer stock. A shot of this stock chilled in a
bloody mary is awesome.

Another thing I find is to not use tap water, or rather not
LA City tap water. The chlorine and other minerals in it make
the broth taste funky compared to using filtered water. I
suppose if you over season it it wouldn't matter, but real good
quality bug stock isn't supposed to be overly seasoned.

The final seasoning is usually done with a bit of Old Bay's or
general salt and pepper.

This stuff freezes well in an airtight container placed inside
a freezer bag. You can also do the Emeril thing and freeze the
broth in ice cube trays and use the portions as necessary, also
stored in a container/freezer bag.

When it comes to cream, I add it to my bisque as a body
enhancer. It's not primarily the base per se.

• Thanks Terry, just what I needed (-) seahunt 17:44:55 05/13/09 (0)