Lobster Stock

[Manton]

I brought home six lobster bodies, guts, and shells today. More than 2 kg of dead shellfish remains. Very popular on the subway I was.

Making lobster stock now. Never done this at home. Will make Americaine later in the week. Other than that, I have no idea what to do with this. But I was not about to turn down free fish heads.

 

[fritzl]

Originally Posted by Manton

Will make Americaine later in the week.

paired with rice pilaf?

love the sauce, though i do not strain it.

 

[KJT]

Any suggestions on preparing lobster stock?

What did you end up making with it?

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by KJT

Any suggestions on preparing lobster stock?

What did you end up making with it?
Saute a few shallots in oil, add a 1/2 a small head of fennel in, let that sweat together. Some people add garlic here, I prefer not to. Add a couple tablespoons of tomato paste and let that just barely begin to caramelize. Deglaze with brandy and add a pound of cleaned lobster shells. Add about a quart of water and a sachet. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer. Simmer 15-20 minutes. Take off heat, let sit with lid on for 15-20 more minutes. Strain and cool.


To make it more flavorful, depending on what application you're going to use it in, you could add tarragon to the stock. Also if you have the tomaley, don't be afraid to add it in.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

Saute a few shallots in oil, add a 1/2 a small head of fennel in, let that sweat together. Some people add garlic here, I prefer not to. Add a couple tablespoons of tomato paste and let that just barely begin to caramelize. Deglaze with brandy and add a pound of cleaned lobster shells. Add about a quart of water and a sachet. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer. Simmer 15-20 minutes. Take off heat, let sit with lid on for 15-20 more minutes. Strain and cool.


To make it more flavorful, depending on what application you're going to use it in, you could add tarragon to the stock. Also if you have the tomaley, don't be afraid to add it in.
Pretty much this though i prefer to add the shells before the tomato paste and saute them, then deglaze the whole with cognac. I don't know what a "sachet" is, and I think you can cook it a bit longer than 15 minutes, probably half an hour. Also, while you can add the light green stuff, mix the dark green with butter and freeze it. Use to finish sauces for fish/shellfish. Personally, I add star anise to lobster stock. No garlic.

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by iammatt

Pretty much this though i prefer to add the shells before the tomato paste and saute them, then deglaze the whole with cognac. I don't know what a "sachet" is, and I think you can cook it a bit longer than 15 minutes, probably half an hour. Also, while you can add the light green stuff, mix the dark green with butter and freeze it. Use to finish sauces for fish/shellfish.

Personally, I add star anise to lobster stock. No garlic.

Aachet as in sachet d'epices. Thyme, bay leaf, parsley stems, whole peppercorns. Old fogies like you probably tie them up in the outer leaves of leek, young studs such as myself just use cheesecloth. Although in lob stock i usually just do parsley stems and white peppercorns, no thyme or bay leaf.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

Aachet as in sachet d'epices. Thyme, bay leaf, parsley stems, whole peppercorns. Old fogies like you probably tie them up in the outer leaves of leek, young studs such as myself just use cheesecloth. Although in lob stock i usually just do parsley stems and white peppercorns, no thyme or bay leaf.
So, is it a French word for the thing French people call bouquet garni?

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by iammatt

So, is it a French word for the thing French people call bouquet garni?

Well AFAIK they are used interchangeably, so I apologize if I used the incorrect wording. Have you really never heard of sachet d'epices?

 

[Manton]

Originally Posted by iammatt

So, is it a French word for the thing French people call bouquet garni?

Technically, a bouquet garni is just the contents. A sachet is a bouquet garni either tied in a cheesecloth or leek greens to make the whole thing easily removable. You can put the contents in loose if you intend to strain the liquid. When hunting and pecking for the herbs would be undesirable (for instance a sauce you are going to puree) you use a sachet for ease of removal.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

Well AFAIK they are used interchangeably, so I apologize if I used the incorrect wording. Have you really never heard of sachet d'epices?

No, I have. I just remember you teasing me when you saw me wrap things up in leek greens, so I figured turnabout was fair play.

Originally Posted by Manton

Technically, a bouquet garni is just the contents. A sachet is a bouquet garni either tied in a cheesecloth or leek greens to make the whole thing easily removable. You can put the contents in loose if you intend to strain the liquid. When hunting and pecking for the herbs would be undesirable (for instance a sauce you are going to puree) you use a sachet for ease of removal.

No. Traditionally, bouquet garni is thyme, parsley, celery leaves and bay leaf tied in the green part of a leek. Sachet is the same stuff tied in cheesecloth, I guess.

 

[Manton]

What I said is the way the FCI teaches it. Whether they are right or not I have no idea.

 

[kwilkinson]

According to this thread ( http://www.cheftalk.com/forum/thread...-bouquet-garni ) sachet is for spices (bag of spices) whereas bouquet garni refers to herbs. But both refer to bundles of flavoring agents bound together in some way so they can add their flavor to a liquid and then be fished out easily. So much kitchen vernacular has taken on meaning different from what it would originally seem, I suppose the only important thing is that the correct idea is conveyed when communicating.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

According to this thread ( http://www.cheftalk.com/forum/thread...-bouquet-garni ) sachet is for spices (bag of spices) whereas bouquet garni refers to herbs. But both refer to bundles of flavoring agents bound together in some way so they can add their flavor to a liquid and then be fished out easily. So much kitchen vernacular has taken on meaning different from what it would originally seem, I suppose the only important thing is that the correct idea is conveyed when communicating.
Anyway, try some star anise in your sachet the next time you make lobster stock. It is very good.

 

[Manton]

Originally Posted by KJT

Any suggestions on preparing lobster stock?

What did you end up making with it?

I made a sort of hybrid recipe. I used Keller's famous butter poaching technique on the lobsters. I used their bodies and shells to make Sauce Americaine using some of the stock. Then some leek, tomato, red pepper and carrot bruniose for a garnish, and one Pommes Maxim cake per plate. Everybody got one claw and half a tail (I had two lobsters, obviously).

 

[lbcgav]

Originally Posted by Manton

I made a sort of hybrid recipe. I used Keller's famous butter poaching technique on the lobsters. I used their bodies and shells to make Sauce Americaine using some of the stock. Then some leek, tomato, red pepper and carrot bruniose for a garnish, and one Pommes Maxim cake per plate. Everybody got one claw and half a tail (I had two lobsters, obviously).

Did you make it into a burger (or beugeu as Keller would pronounce it)?