Lobster Risotto

By
Hank Shaw
Hank Shaw
Hank Shaw
Hank Shaw is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and author of four cookbooks. He has expertise in wild foods and has written over 1,000 recipes.
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Updated on 10/14/19
Risotto with lobster

Jean Cazals / Getty Images

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Lobster risotto is an excellent way to use the meat from the bodies of lobsters, as well as the shells. It is a great second-day dish after you feast on the tails and claws—although this risotto is traditionally done in Sardinia with spiny lobsters, which have no claws. Make the lobster stock ahead of time or use chicken stock or water. Make sure you use short-grained rice for this—long-grained does not work as well—and make sure you have some saffron on hand; it really makes the dish. 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound lobster meat
  • 2 cups Arborio, carnaroli or other short-grain rice
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 shallots (finely chopped)
  • 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
  • Large pinch of saffron
  • 1/4 cup white wine (Vermentino is ideal)
  • 1 quart lobster (or fish or chicken) stock
  • Salt

Steps to Make It

  1. Finely chop half the lobster meat.

  2. Crush the saffron into the white wine and stir well.

  3. In a heavy, medium-sized pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and saute the shallots for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not let them color.

  4. Add the garlic and the rice and stir well for about a minute. Add the finely chopped lobster meat, about a 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the white wine-saffron mixture and stir to combine. Bring to a boil.

  5. Let the wine boil down, stirring frequently—about once every 90 seconds or so. Turn the heat to medium and start adding the lobster stock, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently.

  6. Cook until the rice is done, but still a little al dente. You don't want mushy rice. Add the rest of the lobster meat and the parsley, then check to see if it needs more salt. Add some if needed.

  7. Serve at once with white wine.

Recipe Tip

  • When serving with white wine, a perfect match would be a Sardinian Vermentino or a Sicilian grillo but an unoaked chardonnay, white Cotes-du-Rhone blend or an off-dry riesling would be fine as well. A Spanish Albarino would also be a good pairing with lobster risotto.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
396 Calories
10g Fat
60g Carbs
14g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 396
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 55mg 18%
Sodium 321mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 60g 22%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Protein 14g
Calcium 95mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)