Lobster Risotto
By Julie Cader
Simply stated, I love lobster. When I discovered a bag of small lobster tails in the freezer from last February’s Valentine’s Day Dinner, I was like a pirate discovering a buried treasure—you’d know what I mean if you ever saw the inside of my freezer! In fact, I also found a bag of pureed butternut squash that I’d stuck in the freezer a couple of months ago. So, what to do with my freezer bounty—how about lobster risotto!
What I have learned through the years is that smaller lobster tails are tastier and more delicately textured than larger ones. These would be yummy in the risotto, rich in the flavors of chicken stock, onions, garlic and squash, not to mention the brandy!
Ingredients:
Four to six small lobster tails, thoroughly thawed
4 cups chicken stock
½ cup butter
l large sweet onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
½ cup pureed butternut squash
2 cups short grain brown rice
½ cup brandy
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus ¼ cup for topping risotto
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Boil thawed tails for 10-12 minutes in salted water. Drain water, reserving ½ cup of cooking liquid for the stock, cool tails, remove the meat and cut into ½ inch pieces. Set aside.
Bring the chicken stock and reserved water to a boil, reduce heat and keep stock hot over low heat.
In a large heavy saucepan, cook butter until it begins to foam and turns slightly brown, add garlic and onion and cook until tender. Stir in the rice and coat well. Add the squash, brandy and bay leaf and simmer for a few minutes. Begin adding ½ cup of stock and stir until completely absorbed, stirring constantly. Continue to add the stock, ½ cup at a time, until absorbed, again stirring constantly. Cook until the rice is tender, about 40 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, stir in the ½ cup of cheese, ½ of the lobster pieces, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Now for the grand finale, transfer risotto to a large pasta bowl or platter and arrange the remaining lobster pieces on top of the risotto, along with fresh ground black pepper and the remaining ¼ cup of grated cheese.
Julie is Finance & Administration Manager for the California Rice Commission, and a big proponent of trying new recipes- especially if they feature California rice.
