# Maine Lobster Bodies

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-lobster-bodies/807615>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 27, 2018, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-lobster-bodies/807615 "2018-01-27T23:42:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mrdeals](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Mrdeals](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrdeals)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2018, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-lobster-bodies/807615/1 "2018-01-27T23:42:23Z")

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I put this in IMHO because I’m not sure it has a true answer.

I was in a specialty fish store and in one of the freezers they had 10lb boxes that just contained Maine lobster bodies, no meat, just the shell.

It was super cheap, but I never bought it. Now I’m curious though, what would a person do with them?

My WAG is making soup stock?

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**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2018, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-lobster-bodies/807615/2 "2018-01-27T23:45:23Z")

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Lobster sauce, too. Them exoskeletons are loaded with flavor!

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2018, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-lobster-bodies/807615/3 "2018-01-27T23:48:35Z")

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Yes, soup stock.

I have a recipe for New Orleans style bar-b-q-ed shrimp. Now, that ain’t barbecue as most think of it. It’s shrimp in a Cajun spiced stock, rich with taste.

But, I start with shells from shrimp/lobsters, etc. Boil 'em for an hour with lots of other spices/ingredients.

I envy you being able to get them. I can’t here in Akron.

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**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-lobster-bodies/807615/4 "2018-01-28T00:28:53Z")

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Moved from IMHO to Cafe Society.

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**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-lobster-bodies/807615/5 "2018-01-28T20:56:09Z")

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> [@samclem](#):
>
> Yes, soup stock.
> 
> I have a recipe for New Orleans style bar-b-q-ed shrimp. Now, that ain’t barbecue as most think of it. It’s shrimp in a Cajun spiced stock, rich with taste.
> 
> But, I start with shells from shrimp/lobsters, etc. Boil 'em for an hour with lots of other spices/ingredients.
> 
> I envy you being able to get them. I can’t here in Akron.

While I don’t know about lobster shells, an episode of [America’s Test Kitchen](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/videos/3421-shrimp-scampi) tested making shrimp stock from shells and [found that 5 minutes was optimal](https://www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/145-perfecting-shrimp-scampi). I have a similar recipe from Emeril Lagasse for BBQ Shrimp and Grits, and I’ve adjusted for that. As I tend to make it months apart, hard to tell if it has significantly improved.