Description
Maine lobster stew celebrates coastal New England’s rich culinary heritage with luxurious maritime flavors. Ina Garten’s recipe delivers creamy, comforting elegance you can savor with each spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 lobsters, cooked (1¼ lbs/560 g)
- ½ lb/225 g (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 3 cups/720 ml whole milk
- 3 cups/720 ml heavy cream
- 1 cup/240 ml dry sherry
- ⅓ cup/80 ml cream sherry, such as Harveys Bristol Cream
- 1 (14.5 oz/410 g) can diced tomatoes
- 2 tsps sweet paprika, plus extra for serving
- 1 tbsp minced fresh tarragon
- ¼ tsp saffron threads
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped fresh chives, for serving
Instructions
- Meat Extraction: Carefully remove lobster meat from shells, preserving all juices. Slice meat into uniform chunks and refrigerate in a sealed container.
- Flavor Infusion: Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed pot, sauté lobster shells with collected juices. Deglaze with dry sherry, simmer to concentrate flavors. Add milk, cream, paprika, saffron, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes, then cool and refrigerate for 12-24 hours to develop depth.
- Liquid Preparation: Reheat shell-infused mixture, strain through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding shells. Melt remaining butter, fold in lobster meat, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Rest briefly, then incorporate cream sherry and tomatoes.
- Final Assembly: Combine strained milk mixture with seasoned lobster. Bring to a quick boil, reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. Ladle into serving bowls, garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and freshly chopped chives. Serve immediately while steaming hot.
Notes
- Preserve Lobster Essence: Carefully extract meat and save all shells and juices for maximum flavor depth and rich seafood base.
- Flavor Infusion Time: Refrigerate the stew mixture for 12-24 hours to develop complex, nuanced taste profiles that elevate the entire dish.
- Temperature Control Critical: Maintain gentle simmering temperatures to prevent cream separation and ensure smooth, silky texture.
- Shell Strategy: Using lobster shells during initial cooking creates an intensely concentrated seafood stock that transforms the stew’s overall flavor complexity.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 868
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 770 mg
- Fat: 76 g
- Saturated Fat: 46 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 26 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 200 mg