It is amazing how fast time is passing these days. I do believe I promised to share this lobster risotto a few days ago, but suddenly the weekend was over and I still hadn’t posted this recipe. Doh. My apologies.
I was dreaming of lobster risotto for a long time. Over a year, in fact. But cooking lobster always seemed so decadent, so difficult, so expensive…it was one of those things I just kept putting off. Which is silly, because it’s really none of those things, and lobster risotto is so wonderful, it’s worth boiling up a lobster just for this dish alone. Though if you’re lucky, you can have a lobster dinner one night, and lobster risotto with the leftovers the next.
Lobster is actually less expensive than I thought: We bought three for about $25. Sure, it’s not bargain dinner fare, but more than worth it, in my humble opinion. And as I related last week, cooking it isn’t so time-consuming or difficult, either. Though I probably shouldn’t talk, since Mr. X did all the work. Making the risotto itself was more time-consuming than cooking the lobster, but risotto is one of my favorite things to make, so I never mind the time spent in front of the stove.
I’ve mentioned this before, but I have to say it again: I love risotto because it’s so incredibly versatile. And this might be one of my most decadent versions yet. No matter what you choose to flavor your risotto with, the basic technique is the same: Saute some shallots or garlic in olive oil, add arborio rice and saute until it’s slightly translucent around the edges, than start slowly adding stock, a bit at a time, and cooking over medium-low heat until you have a creamy, silky skillet of rice in front of you. You can add in vegetables or cooked meat near the end to create any kind of variation you want.
For this lobster risotto, I sauteed the shallots with a small stalk of sliced celery. I used a light lobster stock that I had made the night before with the lobster shells. And I steeped the lobster stock with red pepper flakes and a bay leaf while it simmered on the back burner during the risotto making process. The lobster meat itself got chopped and sauteed in a little butter before being stirred into the risotto at the end of the cooking process. I finished it off with a little squeeze of lemon juice right before serving. It would also have been delicious with a garnish of chopped chives, but mine had sadly yellowed and withered, which wouldn’t have been lovely at all.
Lobster Risotto
- 2 1/2 – 3 c. lobster stock
- 1 pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 T. olive oil
- 1 1/2 T. butter
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 1 small stalk of celery, sliced
- 1 c. arborio rice
- 1/3 c. white wine
- meat from 1 medium lobster, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- salt
- 1/2 c. parmesan
- juice from half a lemon
Begin heating the lobster stock over low heat on a back burner. Add the red pepper flakes and bay leaf to the pan so it can steep while you simmer the stock. You want to keep the stock barely simmering and warm throughout the risotto process.
Heat the olive oil and about 1/2 a tablespoon of the butter in a medium skillet. Add the shallot and celery, and saute for a few minutes, until the shallot starts to become lightly translucent. Add the rice, and saute for another few minutes, until the rice grains become translucent around the edges.
Add the white wine to the pan and begin stirring slowly as the rice absorbs the liquid. Once the wine is almost entirely absorbed, begin adding the lobster stock, about half a cup at a time. Wait between additions of stock until the liquid is almost entirely absorbed.
When the risotto is creamy and each grain has just a bit of bite left in the center, melt the rest of the butter in a small skillet. Add the chopped lobster meat and cook until it’s warm through, adding just a pinch of salt to taste.
Once the risotto is done, stir in the lobster meat and the parmesan. Finish with a bit of salt and a squeeze of lemon and serve.