Lobster Baked Stuffed Shrimp

For most of us, having stuffed shrimp and stuffed lobster is a special occasion, so it’s important to get it right – and this is the really good stuff!  My stuffing has a  lighter texture than a cracker crumb stuffing – it’s toasted small cubes of bread, combined with garlic, lemon juice, fresh parsley, buttery bits of lobster…………so very delicious. It’s a good time to make this since there’s a real glut of Maine lobster on the market right now - Price of Lobster Crashes - and cooking more things with lobster is going to help out the Maine Lobsterman’s crisis. I’m doing my part, tastily and happily! 

There’s just a cup of lobster called for, and I make these with the meat from lobster bodies, but  use tail/claw meat if you wish.  If using the meat from the bodies, make sure to rinse out the green tomalley. It’s delicious, but not recommended for anyone to eat anymore. Once the lobster meat is all set, time to make the stuffing.  

•  3/4 cup bread cubes, very small cut
• 1 cup lobster meat, cut into very small pieces
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley, minced
• 1 large clove of garlic minced or one garlic scape minced
• 1 large shallot, minced or 1/2 small onion minced
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Black pepper, several grinds
• 1/8 cup water
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter for topping stuffed shrimp

To make the bread cubes, just take a thin slice of a crusty bread, cut into julienne strips, then cut those into very small cubes. It’s fine to leave the crust on, but if you like a very tender cube, remove it. 

In a non-stick skillet, very lightly toast the bread cubes in 2 tablespoons butter and set aside.

Saute the shallot (or onion), garlic, parsley and lemon juice in two more tablespoons of the butter for a few minutes, or until the shallot begins to turn translucent.

Add the bread cubes back into the pan, along with 2 more tablespoons of butter and stir well.  

Add the lobster meat, stir and taste for salt and pepper. The stuffing should be fairly loose, but if it is not binding together at all, add some of the water, stir and allow to sit for a couple of minutes so the bread can absorb the moisture.

Tip:  I mentioned garlic scapes in the ingredient list, and if you can get your hands on some I highly recommend them in this dish. They have a delicate garlic flavor, wonderful texture, and can be used interchangably with garlic in many, many dishes.  

Remove the tough top section of the scapes if using and use the green stem portion, slicing vertically through it into very small pieces.

 Prepare 12 Jumbo Sized Shrimp:

With the stuffing all set, butterfly 12 jumbo (16 – 25 ct.) shrimp, leaving the tail section shell intact. If you butterfly them through the back, things will hold together better, but if you like to have the tail sticking up in the air when they are cooked (it really does look cool) butterfly it from the front. Either way, just don’t cut all the way through.

How to make the baked stuffed shrimp:

 Preheat an oven to 375 degrees, and arrange the butterflied shrimp on a non-stick baking pan or lightly greased shallow casserole dish.

 Sprinkle just a bit of salt on the shrimp (and I sometimes give the very last squeeze from the lemons on top too).  

Mound the stuffing on top of the butterflied shrimp, compacting it lightly and distributing evenly amongst the shrimp.  

Melt four more tablespoons of unsalted butter and spoon on top of the shrimp. (optional)

Bake for about 10 minutes in the oven – they cook very quickly, be careful not to overcook.

Remove carefully with a spatula, serve with wedges of fresh lemon and enjoy!  

For other recipes using Maine lobster meat, check these out! 

Lobster Bisque 

Maine Lobster Dip 

Lobster and Artichoke Eggs Benedict 

Lobster Mac and Cheese 

New England Lobster Roll 

Lobster Maki Roll