Emeril's Homemade Lobster Sauce

Written by
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone is a writer who develops approachable recipes for home cooks. Her recipes range from Grandma’s favorites to the latest food trends.
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Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Updated 04/07/21
Emeril's Homemade Lobster Sauce

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 90 mins
Total: 100 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Yields: 3 cups
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
221 Calories
15g Fat
9g Carbs
14g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 221
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 19%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 118mg 39%
Sodium 673mg 29%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Protein 14g
Calcium 110mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

A lobster cream sauce is a luxurious way to finish a seafood dish, whether spooned over cooked lobster meat, shrimp, scallops, or fish. The sauce is made with lobster shells, so make sure to save them after cooking lobsters. The shells are cooked in butter along with vegetables, cognac, shrimp stock, and tomato paste, and then strained before cream is added. What results is a velvety smooth, rich, beautiful sauce that adds elegance to any dish, including lobster ravioli, seafood pasta, risotto, fish fillets, or even steak for a surf and turf. This recipe is taken from Prime Time Emeril by Emeril Lagasse.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped carrots
  • 2 tablespoons minced shallots
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cognac (or other brandy)
  • Shells from 2 lobsters, weighing approximately 1 1/2 pounds each
  • 4 cups shrimp stock (or canned low-sodium chicken broth)
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Emeril's Homemade Lobster Sauce ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Add the butter and oil to a medium, heavy stockpot over medium-high heat.

    butter in a stockpot

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Once the butter has melted, add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.

    onion, celery, and carrots in a stockpot with butter

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Stir in the flour and continue to stir until the mixture is a light blond color, about 2 minutes.

    flour added to the onions, celery and carrot mixture in the stockpot

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Add the cognac and stir for 30 seconds, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits.

    cognac added to the onion, celery and carrot mixture in the stockpot

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Add the lobster shells, then stir in the shrimp stock. Bring to a boil over high heat.

    lobster shells and shrimp stock added to the stockpot mixture

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tomato paste, salt, paprika, and cayenne. Simmer uncovered, stirring often, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 hour.

    tomato paste, salt, paprika, and cayenne added to the stockpot mixture

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  8. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium saucepan.

    strain the sauce into a saucepan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  9. Add the cream and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer briskly until reduced to about 3 cups, about 15 minutes.

    Emeril's Homemade Lobster Sauce in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  10. Use warm with seafood or as a finishing sauce. Enjoy.

    Emeril's Homemade Lobster Sauce

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Tips

  • The shells from your lobster dinner can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 day after they are cooked.
  • The sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
  • Lobster shells are rich in flavor and can be used in all kinds of dishes, such as lobster stock to use in soup, chowder, or risotto. It can also be made into a bisque by adding cream and cooked lobster meat.
  • The same method may be used with crab or shrimp shells.