Maine Lobster Stew
A simple, rich stew of cooked lobster meat warmed in butter, milk and cream with a splash of sherry and a pinch of paprika.
Photograph credit: lobster stew by Eugene Peretz · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Flickr · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
Lobster, butter, milk and cream: four things, and not much else. Maine lobster stew is a plain dish that lets the shellfish do the talking, with a broth that is more like a warm, sweet cream soup than a thick chowder. It has no potatoes, no flour and no vegetables.
The lobster meat is warmed gently in butter, which draws out its flavour and turns the butter pink. Milk and cream go in next, and the whole thing is heated slowly, never boiled, because boiling toughens the meat and splits the dairy. A spoonful of sherry and a pinch of paprika give depth and colour.
Let the stew stand off the heat for 30 minutes, if you can, before reheating gently to serve. It rests, and the lobster flavour moves into the liquid, giving a much richer result. Serve it in warm bowls with oyster crackers or buttered bread, and an extra pat of butter floating on top.
Quick Answers
How long does Maine Lobster Stew take to make?
20 minutes of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking, plus 30 minutes of standing, so allow 1 hour 15 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 4.
Maine Lobster Stew: Step by Step
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Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add the lobster and the paprika and stir for 4 minutes without browning.
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Add the sherry and cook for 1 minute.
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Pour in the milk and cream and heat gently for 15 minutes, without boiling, until steaming. Season with the salt and white pepper.
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Take off the heat and leave to stand for 30 minutes. Reheat gently, scatter with chives and serve.
Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.
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Tips That Matter
- Never let the stew boil; the dairy splits and the lobster turns tough.
- Use the lobster tomalley if you can find it for extra flavour.
- Season carefully, as the lobster is naturally salty.
Ingredient Swaps
- In a sauce, full-fat crème fraîche can usually take the place of the double cream; single cream is thinner and more likely to split if it boils, so keep it below a simmer.
Serve It With
Oyster crackers · Buttered bread · Green salad · Dry white wine
Sides from the same cuisine on this site: New York Bagels, Creamy Coleslaw, Boston Baked Beans.
Keeping and Reheating
Keeps in the fridge for 2 days. Reheat gently.
What's in a Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. The calories include 1 g of alcohol a serving, which is not part of the protein, carbohydrate or fat. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .
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