Classic lobster tomato stew is pure luxury in a bowl — lobster tails, cherry tomatoes, and shallots simmered in fish stock and finished with heavy cream. Old Bay, dill, and smoked paprika give it a coastal depth while the Instant Pot does the hard part in fifteen minutes. Date-night food without the date-night effort.
Classic Lobster Tomato Stew
(Total Time: 15 MIN| Serves: 4)
Ingredients:
4 lobster tails, defrosted
2 cups (480 ml) cherry tomatoes, chopped
2 cups (480 ml) fish stock
1 cup (240 ml) celery, finely chopped
2 shallots, diced
2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream
3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) butter
Spices:
1 tbsp (15 ml) Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp (5 ml) dill
1 tsp (5 ml) black pepper, freshly ground
½ tsp smoked paprika
Directions:
- In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, celery, shallots, olive oil, and dill. Mix until well incorporated and set aside.
- Plug in the instant pot and press the ‘’Sauté’’ button. Grease the inner pot with butter and add lobster tails. Season with salt, pepper, and Old Bay seasoning. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.
- Pour in the tomato mixture, fish stock, and sprinkle with smoked paprika.
- Give it a good stir and seal the lid. Set the steam release handle and press the ‘’Manual’’ button. Set the timer for 5 minutes on high pressure.
- When done, press the ‘’Cancel’’ button and release the pressure naturally. Carefully open the lid and stir in the heavy cream.
- Chill for a while and serve.
Per Serving(Calories 468| Total Fats 40.3g | Net Carbs: 5.3g | Protein: 21.2g |Fiber: 1.5g)
Pro Tips
- Sear the lobster tails in butter before anything else — that golden shell-side moment builds the flavour the whole stew leans on.
- Stir the heavy cream in only after the pressure cook; boiled cream separates and dulls the bright tomato broth.
- Defrosted lobster tails are perfect here, so there's no reason to wrestle with live shellfish for a weeknight stew.
- Chop the cherry tomatoes rather than leaving them whole — they burst into the broth and thicken it naturally without any flour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use shrimp instead of lobster?
Absolutely. Large prawns cook in the same five-minute cycle and take the Old Bay and cream broth just as well as lobster does.
How do I know the lobster is cooked?
The shells turn bright red and the meat is opaque and firm to the touch; five minutes at high pressure is exactly enough.
Can I make this without cream?
Yes, finish it with more tomato and a knob of butter for richness. The stew will be lighter but still deeply savoury.
What should I serve alongside?
Crusty bread or cauliflower mash for the cream broth, and a sharp green salad to cut the richness of the lobster.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, celery, shallots, olive oil, and dill.
- Mix until well incorporated and set aside.
- Plug in the instant pot and press the ‘’Sauté’’ button.
- Grease the inner pot with butter and add lobster tails.
- Season with salt, pepper, and Old Bay seasoning.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.
- Pour in the tomato mixture, fish stock, and sprinkle with smoked paprika.
- Give it a good stir and seal the lid.
- Set the steam release handle and press the ‘’Manual’’ button.
- Set the timer for 5 minutes on high pressure.
- When done, press the ‘’Cancel’’ button and release the pressure naturally. Carefully open the lid and stir in the heavy cream.
- Chill for a while and serve. Per Serving(Calories 468| Total Fats 40.3g | Net Carbs: 5.3g | Protein: 21.2g |Fiber: 1.5g)
