Lobster Risotto - A Perfect Valentine Dinner #foodoflove

lobster

🥗Healthier: shrimp

💰Cheaper: crab

Shrimp is lower in calories, while crab is often more affordable.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grana padano

Nutritional yeast is a dairy-free option, while grana padano is a less expensive cheese.

Boil water in a pot with the lid on to speed up the boiling process.

Cook the lobster in boiling water for about 8 minutes for a 1.5 lb lobster.

Remove the lobster from the water, drain, and let it cool.

Break into the lobster shell to extract the meat, removing any toxic parts and eggs.

Cut the lobster into bite-sized pieces, aiming for about 1.5 cups of meat, and set aside.

Save the lobster shells to make broth by boiling them for about an hour.

In a 12-inch cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Add 1 chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped carrot, and 1/2 cup chopped celery to the skillet and cook until softened.

Add 3 cloves of pressed garlic and stir to release fragrance, then remove the vegetables from the skillet and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet.

Add 1 cup of arborio rice to the skillet and toast it, stirring until it starts to brown.

Pour in 1 cup of dry white wine and scrape the bottom of the skillet to release any stuck bits, stirring until the alcohol cooks out.

Add freshly ground black pepper, salt, and a pinch of crumbled saffron to the rice.

Gradually add clam juice and the seafood broth made from the lobster shells, stirring frequently.

Continue to cook the risotto, tasting for doneness, until creamy but not mushy, adding more broth as needed (about 3.5 to 4 cups total).

Return the cooked vegetables to the risotto and add more broth as necessary.

Stir in 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, ensuring the risotto remains creamy and not too dry.

Add the lobster meat back into the risotto to heat through, reserving some claw meat for decoration.

Plate the risotto, ensuring it can be piled but still spreads out slightly.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens