This lobster with lobster sauce recipe takes that beloved Chinese American takeout classic, Shrimp with Lobster Sauce, and makes good on its name—with actual chunks of sweet lobster!
If lobster is on sale at your local market or you have a special occasion coming up, this (surprisingly simple) showstopper of a meal will make everyone at the table happy.
The Origins Behind “Lobster Sauce”
Shrimp with lobster sauce is so named because that translucent white sauce, flecked with streaks of egg and ground pork, is the base for a dish called Lobster Cantonese, which you make with whole lobsters. (My dad has a great Lobster Cantonese recipe!)
The dish later evolved into Shrimp with Lobster Sauce, which was easier for Chinese takeout restaurants to prepare, as well as more affordable for both restaurants and customers.
Of course, for those unfamiliar with the dish, we have always gotten lots of questions: Where’s the lobster? Why isn’t there lobster in a dish with lobster in the name? Why would they call it lobster sauce??
Well, there’s your explanation—Shrimp with Lobster Sauce is made with a sauce that was originally made for a lobster dish! It’s like battering, dredging, and frying a cube steak (a cut of beef) and calling it “Chicken Fried Steak.” No chicken involved. Just translating a particular cooking technique from one protein to another.
Making Good on The Name “Lobster Sauce”
The ambiguity is gone in this recipe, though, because this time, our lobster sauce is going to be full of chunks of sweet, cooked lobster. It has all the gorgeous texture (and ease!) of shrimp with lobster sauce, because the lobster is shelled.
You’ll need 10-12 ounces of cooked lobster for this recipe. About a quarter of the lobster’s weight is meat, so you’ll need about two 1½-pound lobsters, or three 1¼ pound lobsters to yield enough meat for this recipe.
We highly recommend sticking to this size range. Anyone who knows lobster (particularly Maine lobster, as we can get here in the Northeast) will tell you that the best eating size is around 1¼ – 1½ pounds. The texture of the meat is more tender and succulent, and there is a decent amount of meat in each lobster, creating a nice balance of value with flavor and texture.
To make this recipe even easier, you can have your local fish counter cook and maybe even shell the lobster for you, usually at no extra cost! That way, you can just take home a little container of cooked lobster meat, ready to dive into cooking this recipe. With that step out of the way, it takes less than 20 minutes to make.
Watch: Sarah pioneers what should have always been…
Lobster with Lobster Sauce: Recipe Instructions
In a medium bowl, combine the low sodium chicken stock, sesame oil, sugar, salt, MSG (if using), and white pepper.
Heat your wok over medium-high heat. Add the neutral oil, garlic, and ground pork. Stir-fry for 1 minute. (Alternatively, for a clearer sauce, cook the ground pork in boiling water until it turns opaque. Then add the drained pork to the oil and garlic in the wok). Add the wine and stir-fry for another 10 seconds. Add the sauce mixture you made earlier.
To Blanch or Not To Blanch?
I chose not to blanch the pork in this recipe in order to cut out an extra step. That said, it does affect the look of the sauce, which was more opaque than translucent. If you want a clearer sauce, bring a pot of water to a boil, and cook the pork in the boiling water just until it goes opaque. Drain and rinse before adding it to the wok along with the oil and garlic.
As you can see in the photos below, our shrimp version is clearer with the blanching method:
Once the mixture comes to a simmer, combine the cornstarch and water into a slurry, and stir it into the sauce a little bit at a time. Let the mixture bubble and thicken. It should be able to coat a spoon, but shouldn’t have a gloopy consistency. Add the slurry gradually to control the thickness of the sauce; you don’t have to use it all. If it gets too thick, add a little more chicken stock. If it’s too thin, add more slurry.
Stir in the peas and the cooked lobster.
Then spread the slightly beaten egg and scallion across the mixture and simmer for 5 seconds. Use your spatula to fold the egg into the sauce with a few strokes.
Serve over steamed rice!
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Recipe
Lobster with Lobster Sauce
Ingredients
- 1½ cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon MSG (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 4 ounces ground pork (can substitute ground dark meat chicken or turkey)
- 1 tablespoon clear rice wine (or Shaoxing wine or dry cooking sherry)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 10-12 ounces cooked lobster (from two 1½-pound or three 1¼-pound lobsters)
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 scallion chopped
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the low sodium chicken stock, sesame oil, sugar, salt, MSG (if using), and white pepper.
- Heat your wok over medium-high heat. Add the neutral oil, garlic, and ground pork. Stir-fry for 1 minute. (Alternatively, for a clearer sauce, cook the ground pork in boiling water until it turns opaque. Then add the drained pork to the oil and garlic in the wok). Add the wine and stir-fry for another 10 seconds. Add the sauce mixture you made earlier.
- Once the mixture comes to a simmer, combine the cornstarch and water into a slurry, and stir it into the sauce a little bit at a time. Let the mixture bubble and thicken. It should be able to coat a spoon, but shouldn’t have a gloopy consistency. Add the slurry gradually to control the thickness of the sauce; you don't have to use it all. If it gets too thick, add a little more chicken stock. If it’s too thin, add more slurry.
- Stir in the peas and the cooked lobster. Then spread the slightly beaten egg and scallion across the mixture and simmer for 5 seconds. Use your spatula to fold the egg into the sauce with a few strokes. Serve over steamed rice!
