Lobster Saffron Risotto

Have you noticed the lobster price recently? There was an abnormally high supply of lobsters this summer, and the price went down steeply. Since the lobster fishing season is close to the end, I thought I should cook lobster now, not later. So I bought one $8 lobster tail, and cooked risotto for me and my husband today. I tried to keep it simple, but added saffron for flavor and the color. The bright yellow color from saffron can be a good contrast to the pinkish red lobster meat and green peas.

Risotto is such an easy dish to make! You need only rice and good stock, and some additional ingredients. For today's lobster-saffron risotto, you just need to be careful about one thing! Please not to overcook your lobster, since it will become rubbery.

Lobster Saffron Risotto
(Yield: 2 servings / Cooking time: 1.5 hours)

Ingredients:

+ 1/2 cup short-grain rice + roughly chopped lobster chunks* + 1/2 tsp saffron threads + 2 cups non-salted chicken stock (please click here for recipe) + 1 Tbsp finely diced shallot + 1 garlic clove + 1/4 cup dry white wine

+ 1.5 Tbsp frozen pea + 1 Tbsp finely chopped chives + 1/2 cup dry white wine + one quart of water + 1 Tbsp unsalted butter + a quarter of lemon + olive oil + salt and pepper

* Lobster

+ one lobster tail + small amount of carrot + small amount of onion

+ a quarter of lemon + 1/4 cup dry white wine + one quart of water ( +α if needed)

To poach lobster tail, first, please prepare poaching liquid. In a pot, add carrot, onion, a quarter lemon, white wine, and water. Bring the poaching liquid to gentle simmer, and add lobster tail. Reduce the heat to low not to boil the water, but just simmer. Poach lobster for 6 minutes, and immediately shock in ice water to stop the cooking process. When the lobster has cooled completely, take out the flesh and roughly chop. Keep the shell and freeze it for lobster stock or bisque.



Procedures:
1. Put the chicken stock on the stove and let it simmer over low heat, and sweat crushed garlic with olive oil over medium-low heat.


2. Sweat the garlic until the oil is fragrant with garlic aroma, and take out the garlic clove from the pan. Sweat finely diced shallot until shallots are translucent.


3. Add the rice and coat the rice grains with the olive oil in the pan, and toast the rice over medium heat until the rice grains become opaque and the rice smells mildly toasted. Pour wine, and continue cooking until most of the wine has evaporated.


4. Lower the heat to low-medium and pour two to three ladles of simmering chicken stock over the rice - just enough to cover the rice. Add saffron, and season lightly with small amount of salt. Cook while stirring continuously until chicken stock is all absorbed by the rice and pan is dried. Add simmering chicken stock again just enough to cover the rice, and repeat the process. It will take about 15-18 minutes to cook the rice, depending on your rice and level of heat.


5. When the rice is almost cooked, add chopper lobster and pea. Cook just until the lobster and pea are reheated. Turn off the heat. Add lemon zest, chopped chives, and butter, and swirl into hot risotto.


6. Taste the risotto, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Also, if you need some acidity, add some lemon juice.

Enjoy~