Lobster Risotto

This dish is as seductive to eat as it is to look at. Sweet, buttery lobster is paired with beautiful, floral saffron in this gorgeous dish that embodies the essence of deep summer. No matter where you live, this dish will instantly transport you to seaside, where dog-day afternoons give way to a cool, evening sea breeze after a day spent in the sun and sand. Wash it down with an ice cold lager, or a crisp, dry white wine for the maximum experience.

Note: You can skip the whole “Kill Your Own Lobster” thing and just buy lobster tails or precooked lobster – it will still be an amazing dish.

You Will Need:

1. A large 5 quart stainless steel sauté pan with lid
2. Large Stock Pot
3. A Microplane Zester

Ingredients

1. 4 Lobsters, about 1¼ – 1½ lbs each
2. 12oz Arborio Rice (about 1½ cups) but I prefer to do this by weight
3. 32oz seafood stock, clam juice, or chicken broth (not stock, about 4 cups)
4. 8oz dry white wine (1 cup)
5. 3oz freshly grated parmesan
6. 8 tablespoons butter, divided (1 stick butter, divided in half)
7. 1 medium shallot, minced
8. 1 or 2 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane
9. Pinch saffron
10. ½ cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks (optional)
11. Juice and zest of 1 lemon
12. Thinly sliced chives, to finish
13. Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Lobsters (20 minutes)

Bring enough water to submerge 4 lobsters to a heavy, rolling boil in the largest stock-pot you’ve got

Kill (yeah, I know) the lobsters by plunging a sharp knife, point first into the X behind the lobster’s head, and then driving the rest of the blade down toward the lobster’s head.

This will instantly eliminate any unlikely flicker of consciousness the lobster had (assuming it was there in the fist place) – it will continue to move around, but trust me – it’s long gone.

The lobster will release a lot of water which may contain bacteria, so be sure to do this near a sink with lots of paper towels, and clean any nearby surfaces with a good disinfectant and be sure to scrub your cutting board with plenty of warm, soapy water and rinse it well.

Okay – the worst is over.

Drop the lobsters in the pot of boiling water; boil lobsters (11 minutes for a 1.25lb; 13 minutes for a 1.5lb lobster). Keep an eye on the lobsters and make sure they don’t boil over; they’ll produce a lot of foam.

While the lobsters are boiling, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl or pot – LOTS of ice – and do the following:

Step 2: Get the Risotto Ready to Cook (15 minutes – While the lobsters boil)

While the lobsters are boiling, do the following:

1. Combine uncooked rice and cold broth in a pot or large bowl, and slosh around with your fingers to rinse as much starch as possible off the rice (trust me, I know this isn’t traditional, but it works extremely well, will yield a very creamy end result, and saves a ton of time and a lot of stirring)
2. Strain the rice/broth mixture through a mesh strainer to catch the rice in the strainer and separate it from the broth
   • To make it easier down the line, strain the broth into a 4 cup measuring cup if you have one.
   • If you don’t have a 4 cup measuring cup, just strain the broth into any container or bowl, and then use a 1 cup measuring cup to reserve 1 cup of the broth separately for the end of the process
   • You should now have (1) a strainer full of rice, and a (2) container full of broth, which now has all the rice-starch in it. This is exactly what you want.
3. Mince shallot
4. Grate garlic
5. Whip heavy cream (if using) and refrigerate
6. Measure out the rest of the ingredients

Step 3: Lobster Ice Bath

Once the lobsters have boiled for 11-13 minutes, remove them from the boiling water and plonk them into the ice bath. This will stop the cooking process and prevent the meat from sticking to the shells.

Step 4: Par-cook (i.e., “partially cook”) the Risotto (20 minutes)

1. Add 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter to a 5 quart stainless steel sauté pan with lid or other wide but fairly deep pot over medium heat
2. When butter is foamy, add shallot and garlic. Reduce heat as needed to keep things from getting too dark too fast – you want to sweat them, not brown them. Sauté until soft and very fragrant, about 2 minutes
3. Add rice and sauté until nutty smelling and starting to become translucent around the edges, 3 to 5 minutes
4. Add wine and stir to combine
5. Add saffron, crumbling threads between your fingers, and stir to combine well
6. Continue to stir until wine is mostly evaporated (rice will appear mushy but individual grains will still be evident), about 2 to 3 minutes
7. Give your starchy broth a good stir to redistribute any starch that may have sunk to the bottom
8. Add 3 out of your 4 cups to the pan with the rice (i.e., all but one cup), reserving the remaining 1 cup. If you’re using a 4 cup measuring cup, this is easy – just leave 1 cup behind.
9. Stir well to combine, and bring to a simmer
10. Reduce heat to low, and cover; set a timer for 10 minutes
11. After 10 minutes, give everything a good stir. Shake the pan to redistribute the rice in an even-ish layer across the bottom of the pan (doesn’t have to be perfect).
12. Cover, and set another 10 minute timer.
13. After the second 10 minute timer (so, now it’s been about 20 minutes), remove from heat and set aside – keep covered while you shuck the lobsters

Step 5: Shuck the Lobsters

While the risotto is cooking (Step 4, above), shuck lobsters, removing the tail and claw meat (this is a messy task, but just go for it – it doesn’t need to be pretty; we’re not making Lobster Thermidor here), but do try to reserve a few nice, large pieces for presentation’s sake.

Reserve meat in a bowl; cover and refrigerate

Step 5: Finish the Risotto

1. Return the Risotto to medium-low heat and stir well
2. Add final cup of starchy broth and continue to stir until nice and creamy, 2-3 minutes or so
3. Stir in any remaining butter, a few slices at a time – or brown the butter slightly in a separate pan for bonus points
4. Stir whipped heavy cream for even more creaminess (optional)
5. Stir in reserved 3oz of grated parmesan cheese
6. Off heat, continue to stir until cheese is well incorporated and risotto is rich and creamy
7. Stir in lemon juice and zest, along with most of the lobster, reserving a few of the nicest pieces for presentation

To Serve:

1. Place a nice pile of Risotto in the middle of a large dinner plate, and spread out in a circle
2. Top with a few nice pieces of lobster
3. Garnish with lemon slices, chives, and more grated parmesan cheese