Lobster risotto is a rich and luxurious recipe makes an lovely dish for a special occasion. (If you have time the leftover claws and shells will make a rich lobster stock full of shellfish flavour perfect for making the risotto)
Lobsters From Walter Purkis & Sons
Freshest lobsters taste the best. We offer our customers a choice, you can buy a live lobster from our Homarium take it home and cook yourself. We have a guide for cooking lobster here. If you prefer you can come into the shop choose your lobster from the tank and we can cook it for you. Equally just choose a lobster from the counter. Either way they will be very tasty.
Ingredients For Lobster Risotto
1 cooked lobster (shelled, tail sliced and diced, claws sliced in half) from Walter Purkis & Sons
400g arborio rice
1.5lt chicken stock
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
1 clove garlic (chopped)
100g pancetta (diced)
100g peas or broad beans (cooked)
150ml white wine
Chopped parsley
Parmesan (grated)
Cooking Method For Lobster Risotto
In a little oil, sweat the onion and garlic along with the pancetta for 2 minutes. Aim to get the vegetable soft and translucent not brown. Next add the rice and cook gently for 1 minute allow the grains to become coated and absorb some of the oil
Add the white wine and reduce over a high heat, then begin to add the hot stock one ladle at a time to the rice, stirring continuously and allowing the rice to absorb the stock after each addition. NB if you use the lobster stock below your will have not only great flavour but a pretty shellfish pink colour
When the rice is just cooked (al dente) add the peas and the lobster to warm through Finish the risotto with a few knobs of butter and scatter some grated Parmesan on top. Serve right away
Cooking Method For Lobster Stock
Lobsters are a luxury food and not something that you eat every day. So when lobster is on your menu you want to make the most of all the parts. Here is a recipe to make use of the leftover bodies and shells creating a really delicious lobster stock that is packed with rich shellfish flavours.
Ingredients: Lobster shell, 1 medium onion, 1 small fennel bulb, 2 sticks celery, 2 carrots, 1 garlic clove, handful chopped parsley, 4 or 5 ripe tomatoes or 1 400g tin chopped tomatoes, glass white wine, salt and pepper, olive oil.
- Open the bodies/head and remove the gray, feathery gills
- Use a rolling pin or kitchen mallet to break the lobster shells into small pieces.
- Chop all the vegetables. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan and soften the onions, celery, fennel and carrots over medium heat for a few minutes avoid browning as this will taint the final flavour.
- Add the lobster shell and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes follow with the chopped garlic.
- Keep stirring and add the parsley, bay leaves, and tomatoes, then the wine allow the liquids to reduce by 2 thirds.
- Add water until all the ingredients covered bring to the boil then simmer very gently for a further hour (or longer for a stronger flavour). Top up with extra water if needed.
- When done, strain well to remove all fibre and debris (a fine sieve with a muslin cloth will work well).