RISOTTO OF LOBSTER WITH GREEN PEAS

RISOTTO OF LOBSTER WITH GREEN PEAS image

Yield 4 people

Number Of Ingredients 30

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Ingredients

For the Lobster Stock:
Two 2½-pound/1.13 kg live lobsters
2 tablespoons/30 ml olive oil
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 leek, coarsely chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup/65 ml Pernod
1/2 cup/110 ml dry white wine
1 tomato, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup/85 ml tomato puree
8 cups/1.89 L fish stock or vegetable stock
For the Risotto:
2 tablespoons/30 ml olive oil
3 shallots, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cups/390 g Carnaroli or Vialone Nano rice
3/4 cup/170 ml champagne
1 cup/140 g small green peas
8 tablespoons (1 stick)/115 g butter
1/2 lemon
1/3 cup/40 g Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
1/4 cup/55 g mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons/about 5 g finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 sprigs fresh chervil, for garnish
To prepare Lobster and Stock:
Freeze lobsters for 30 mins. so they get sleepy. Meanwhile, bring a very large pot of water to a boil over high heat. One chilled lobster at a time, add the lobsters to the boiling water, cook for 1 minute.
Using tongs, remove lobsters from the water and set aside until cool enough to handle.
Working over a large bowl to catch any lobster juices, cut off tail and claws. Crack tail and claws and extract meat from tail and claws using sharp scissors or poultry shears to cut through shells. The meat will still be semi raw, but sufficiently loosened enough for you to pull it out of shells. Keep claw meat whole, if possible. Cut half of the tail meat into bite size pieces. Cut remaining tail meat into slices. Set meat aside. Break up lobster shells a bit and chop with a large knife so they will fit into a pot. Heat oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in lobster shells. Stir in carrot, leek and onion, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until tender and nicely caramelized.

Steps:

Stir in Pernod and cook 2 minutes, or until it evaporates. Stir in wine and cook for 3 minutes, or until it evaporates. Add tomato and tomato puree. Cook for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes are mushy and juices thicken. Add accumulated lobster juices from the bowl and fish stock or vegetable stock - bring just to a simmer. Decrease heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 40 minutes. Set aside and allow stock to cool slightly. Strain stock into medium saucepan. You should have about 5 cups stock. Cover and keep warm. Risotto: Heat olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic and thyme and sauté for 2 minutes, or until tender but do not brown. Add rice and sauté for 30 seconds. Stir in the champagne and cook for 3 minutes, or until absorbed. Add 3/4 cup lobster stock and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Continue adding stock, 3/4 cup at a time, until all stock has been absorbed. This should take about 22 minutes. Add peas and bite-size lobster pieces, continue to cook for 2 minutes, or until the lobster meat is cooked through and peas are tender. The rice should be cooked to the point of being al dente (the center of each grain of rice should be slightly firm to the tooth). Remove the stems of thyme. Leaves of thyme should have fallen off the stems and into risotto. Remove risotto from heat, and stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano, mascarpone and 6 tablespoons butter until butter has melted. Stir in parsley and season risotto w/ salt and pepper. Meanwhile, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in small sauté pan over medium heat. Add claw meat and slices of lobster meat and toss to coat. Cook for 1 minute, or until lobster meat is cooked through. Squeeze lemon juice over lobster. Divide the risotto among four warm serving bowls. Garnish with the claw meat and slices of lobster meat, and a sprig of chervil and serve.