Lobster Risotto

Difficulty:

1/5

Yield: 4 servings

Steamed Lobster in onion, carrots, celery and seasoned with a bay leaf and peppercorns, left to simmer. Then with champagne, onion, garlic, butter, olive oil, arborio rice, lobster stock, fresh peas and mascarpone cheese added to finish. Lobster is sliced dipped in lemon juice and butter.

Ingredients:

2 lobsters 1 ¼ pounder (567g) (shells reserved and cleaned)

Lobster stock:

1 medium onion
3 carrots peeled
3 celery sticks
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons (10ml) whole black peppercorns
4-6 sprigs of fresh thyme (optional)
½ bottle of champagne (375ml) (13oz)

Risotto:

1 medium Spanish onion
1 tablespoon (15ml) garlic minced
2 tablespoons (30ml) butter
1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
2 cups (500ml) Arborio rice
4 cups (1 liter) lobster stock
1 cup (250ml) mascarpone cheese
½ cup (125ml) fresh or frozen peas
Small bunch of fresh chives cut into 1 inch (2.5cm) pieces
Salt and pepper

For finishing lobster:

¼ cup (60 ml) butter
Juice of 2 lemons

Method:

Steam lobster by placing 3 inches (7.6cm) of water in the bottom of a steamer pot. Bring water to boil.

Using a chef’s knife stab the lobster right through the head. Place lobster into the steamer pot and cover with lid, cook lobster for 8 minutes. As a general rule cook lobster for 7 minutes per pound.

Remove the lobster and plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

Using a mallet and scissors remove the meat from the lobster claws and tails.

Chop the lobster meat into bite sized pieces. Leave the claws intact.

Place lobster in the refrigerator.

Rinse the inside of the lobster bodies in cool water.

For lobster stock: take all of the empty shells and now cleaned bodies and place them in a 6 quart (5.6 liters) stock pot.

Chop the onion, carrots, celery into medium dice and add to the stock pot.

Add the bay leaves, peppercorns and fresh thyme sprigs.

Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Skim off any impurities.

Allow to simmer for 45 to 50 minutes.

Strain the stock into a sauce pan and continue to simmer stock to reduce to 1 liter (4 cups).

Add ½ bottle of champagne to the now reduced stock and keep warm.

For the risotto:

Dice the onion into small dice. Add butter and the olive oil to heavy bottomed skillet or large pot set over medium low heat. Allow the butter to melt and oil to heat.

Add the onions and cook, stirring constantly until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the rice and cook until the rice has absorbed some of the oils and you can visually see white centers in the rice. Add the salt and stir.

Start adding the warm champagne/lobster stock. Ladle small amounts of the warm broth into the rice about ½ cup (125ml) at a time stirring constantly. Continue adding stock when the rice has absorbed the liquid. Decrease amount nearing the end to ¼ cup (60ml). Adding too much broth at the end can result in over cooked risotto. This does take time. Stir constantly.

When rice is cooked to al dente add the peas and mascarpone.

The texture should be supple and fluid, with a creamy, slightly soupy consistency with body.

Place the butter in a saucepan to melt and add the juice of the lemons. Add the lobster meat to the pan and toss in lemon butter. Cook over medium heat just until the lobster is warmed through.

Add the warm chopped lobster meat to the risotto reserving the 4 claws to garnish the top of each dish.

Sprinkle with chopped chives.