What is Lobster Butter?

Lobster butter is butter than has been infused with the flavor of lobster by processing it with discarded lobster shells. It is bright orange in color and can be used in the preparation of many soups and dishes, spread on bread or crackers, and used in various recipes. Commonly, it is an ingredient in lobster bisque and lobster butter sauce. Making lobster butter is an efficient way of using almost every part of the lobster.

Since lobster can be expensive, preparing lobster butter from the shells and carcass of the lobster can be an economical alternative to throwing it away. After the lobster meat has been removed, the carcass can be boiled to make a rich and flavorful lobster stock. Once the stock has been made, there is enough flavor left in the remaining shells to flavor the butter. The crusher claws are the only part of the lobster carcass that is considered unsuitable in the making of lobster butter because they are too difficult to break.

After all of the shells have been strained from the liquid, the shells are generally pulverized with a rolling pin or mortar and pestle before being added to the desired amount of butter. The mixture of crushed lobster shells and butter is then mixed in a mixing bowl with the mixer's paddle attachment until thoroughly combined. This process can be messy — it is generally recommended that the cook place a towel over the mixing bowl to confine any splatter.

The mixer should not be left unattended while the butter is being combined with the lobster shells. There is a possibility that larger pieces of shell may lodge in the paddle attachment of the mixer. These pieces will need to be dislodged as necessary. The butter and lobster shells need to be churned until the shells stop breaking into smaller pieces. Then, the resulting mixture is transferred to an oven-safe container where it is simmered for approximately 40 minutes.

Once the lobster butter has been infused with the flavor from the lobster shells, the mixture is combined with equal parts water and strained through a sieve until all the pieces of lobster shells have been separated from the butter. The resulting product is refrigerated overnight. After hardening, the butterfat will have risen to the top of the container while the water remains at the bottom. It should be easy to remove the lobster butter from the water and store in a fresh, clean container.