Lobster Risotto

Lobster risotto for two--creamy brown butter risotto with buttery chunks of lobster tail on top. Such a romantic dinner for two idea! All you need is onions, short grain rice, butter, white wine and chicken broth to make this lobster risotto recipe. To make it special for date night, snip chives on top and serve the rest of the bottle of white wine with dinner.

Anyway, I've seen some pretty great prices on frozen lobster tails in the markets lately, and I think they make this dish really appraochable. Approachable in terms of price, and in terms of ease. The tail is already separated and ready to cook, and so all you do is steam it whole. If you want to grab a whole lobster and cook it and use the rest of it to make a seafood stock, that is amazing. In that case, use the seafood stock in place of the chicken stock for this recipe. If you're not up for cooking a whole lobster, just buy the tails and proceed with this easy recipe.

Whenever I come across such a pretty cut of meat, I try to prepare it in the simplest way possible. In this case, I defrosted the tails, gently poached them, and then drowned them in butter. Then, I made a simple risotto to serve underneath that complimented the butteriness of the lobster with more butter. Yep. Risotto is a great vehicle for butter and bed for any cut of meat. Any leftover lobster meat can be used for my lobster mac and cheese for two. 

If you're not up for lobster, try this lemon risotto with shrimp, instead. It has many of the same flavors, and is just as elegant. If pasta is more your thing, you would love my easy 5-ingredient creamy lobster shells pasta recipe.

Ingredients

Lobster Tails. You need two whole tails for this lobster risotto recipe. The tails can be small, so I like to serve one tail with each plate. You can buy frozen or fresh lobster, be be sure to fully defrost before cooking if frozen. You can cook whole lobsters, and then separate the tail from the body after cooking.

Olive Oil.

Butter.

Onion. Half a cup of finely diced white or yellow onion is great here. You can also use shallots instead of onions. I also recommend chive for garnishing, but they are optional.

Short-grain Rice. The best rice for risotto is either arborio or carnaroli rice.

White Wine. Use a dry (not sweet) white wine that ou like drinking, and serve the rest at the table. I like a Sauvignon Blanc from northern California.

Chicken Stock. Just boxed chicken stock or the chicken paste dissolved in water is fine here. You can use seafood stock if you want to drive home the lobster flavors.

How to cook the lobster for the risotto:

First, we're going to cook the lobster separately before we start making the risotto. The best way to cook the lobster is to bring 6 cups of water to a simmer in a shallow pan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt, and then use tongs to add the lobster tails carefully without splashing yourself with hot water. Lower the heat slightly to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook the lobster tails for 8-9 minutes. Remove the lobster tails from the water, and use a toothpick to poke though the tail meat to check for doneness--it will be slightly firm and not opaque when done. Let cool, and then use very sharp kitchen shears to split each tail in half length-wise. Use a fork to gently remove the meat from the tail. I like to pull it into large pieces for the risotto.

How to make lobster risotto:

1. Gather the ingredients: the lobster, olive oil, butter, diced onion, short-grain rice, white wine, and chicken salt. Have salt, pepper and chives on the side, also.
   
2. First, we're going to gently poach the lobster tails by bringing water in a shallow pan to gentle simmer. Add the tails and cook 8-9 minutes. Remove the tails, and use a toothpick inserted all over the tail to test for firmness to see if its done. Lobster is opaque when done, but be careful not to over cook.
   
3. When the lobster is cool, split the tails in half using kitchen shears, and then use a fork to gently tear it into large chunks for serving. Set aside.
   
4. Next, start the risotto: in a large saucepan, melt one tablespoon of the butter and the olive oil together on medium heat. Add the diced onion, and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook another 5 minutes, until the edges of the rice grains are starting to turn clear. Finally, add the white wine and salt, and cook until it mostly evaporates.
   
5. Begin pouring the chicken stock in ½ cup at a time, stirring nearly constantly between each addition, until it has been absorbed. It will take about 15-20 minutes to get through all of the chicken stock. Taste the rice to see if it's tender all the way throughout. If so, it's time to turn off the heat and add the butter to stop the cooking process.
   
6. Divide the risotto between two plates, and top with lobster pieces. Melt the very last tablespoon of butter, and drizzle it over both plates. Serve garnished with freshly snipped chives.

Which wine goes with lobster risotto

I love a dry Sauvignon Blanc for light seafood dishes.

What to serve with lobster risotto

A super light salad is great on the side, like my beet root and feta salad. For a summer version, my nectarine salad is refreshing, plus lobster pairs so well with summer stone fruits.

How to store:

Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container. It will keep for up to 2 days.

How to reheat:

To reheat, I recommend warming up extra chicken stock and gently reheating the risotto on the stove over low heat. Add a scoop of the warm chicken broth until everything is steaming hot and creamy again.

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Yield: 2 servings

Dinner for Two: Lobster Risotto

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This delicious lobster risotto for two never disappoints!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 whole lobster tails, fully defrosted
• 2 ½ teaspoon salt, divided use
• 1 T olive oil
• 3 T butter, divided use
• ½ cup minced onion or shallot
• 1 cup arborio rice
• ¾ cup dry white wine
• 3 cups warm chicken broth
• chives, for garnish

Instructions

1. Gather all of the ingredients needed.
2. In a 2-quart saucepan, bring about 6 cups of water to a simmer. Add 2 teaspoon salt to the water, and then add the lobster tails.
3. Adjust the heat to maintain a constant simmer (never a boil) and cook the lobsters for 8-9 minutes. Before removing from the water, ensure the meat is tender by poking it all the way through in several places with a toothpick. (Move the shell apart slightly to do this).
4. Use sharp kitchen shears to split each lobster tail in two. Use two forks to gently pry the meat away from the shell. You can serve it in the shell, or remove the meat and dice for stirring into the risotto, your choice.
5. Meanwhile, in a heavy saucepan, add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Turn the heat to medium and let the butter melt. When it starts sizzling, add the onions. Cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.
6. Next, stir the rice into the onions. Cook for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally. Before moving to the next step, ensure that the edges of the rice are starting to turn translucent.
7. Stir in the wine and salt, and cook while stirring continuously until it evaporates almost entirely.
8. Begin adding the chicken broth, ½ a cup at a time and continuously stir until it almost entirely evaporates. (It should take about 15-20 minutes).
9. When you're down to the last ½ cup of chicken broth, taste the rice and see if it is al dente.
10. When the rice is done, turn off the heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter. Stir until it melts.
11. Melt the final tablespoon of butter and have ready for topping.
12. Divide the risotto between two plates, top each with a lobster tail or lobster pieces, and drizzle the melted butter on top of the lobster.

Notes

Lobster Tails: You need two whole tails for this lobster risotto recipe. You can buy these frozen or fresh, but be sure to defrost before cooking. You can cook whole lobsters, if you like, and then separate the tail from the body after cooking.

Onion: Finely diced white or yellow onion is great here. I also recommend chive for garnishing, but they are optional. You can subsitute shallots for onions, if you have them.

Short-grain Rice: The best rice for risotto is either arborio or carnaroli rice.

White Wine: Use a dry (not sweet) white wine that ou like drinking, and serve the rest at the table. I like a Sauvignon Blanc from northern California.

Chicken Stock: Just boxed chicken stock or the chicken paste dissolved in water is fine here. You can use seafood stock if you want to drive home the lobster flavors.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 590Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 130mgSodium: 4631mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 29g

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