I dream about food. All day. All night. It’s my best diversion when I am exercising/walking because otherwise, I would concentrate on how much I hate to exercise. In my ever-sparking mind, I mostly think about crazy, different food combinations. Always things that I particularly love. So with that as background, let me describe Lobster Bisque Risotto. Obviously, I love lobster. Who doesn’t?
Lobster is pretty pricey and it doesn’t lend itself to the everyday dinner. However, under some circumstances, you can get lucky and find a way to make it work. My local Kroger store sells frozen lobster claws for only $6.00/pound. While they take a bit of work to extract all the meat from the knuckles and the claws, the end result is worth it.
If you want to save some time and money, this Lobster Bisque Risotto can easily be made with cooked medium shrimp.
ALL THE FLAVORS OF LOBSTER BISQUE IN A RISOTTO
But I digress. In my latest musings, I was craving lobster bisque but also wanted to create a recipe that was more substantial. The risotto came to mind and the idea that you could make a creamy, rich, risotto that had the flavors of sherry, tarragon, tomato paste and thyme was intriguing. But would it work? Well yes, it has all the flavor of the bisque which permeates the rice cooked to the perfect al dente.
RISOTTO REQUIRES YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION
Risotto is a bit like a child. It does need a bit of babysitting in order to have it turn out correctly! Baby it, stir it like crazy, do not leave it unattended and it will reflect all your hard work. You get the analogy. But seriously, this requires a half hour of stirring. Tell Alexa to play your favorite playlist and meditate while stirring. Think of it as a break from the noise and madness of the day.
LOBSTER BASE IN A JAR IS A HUGE TIME SAVER
I know what you are thinking. You are afraid to try this recipe because you don’t want to make seafood stock. Well, I have you covered. I was concerned that lobster stock in a jar would smell and taste like cat food but I was pleased to discover that is not the case. I used Better than Bouillon Lobster Base and it wasn’t too salty or fishy, nor did it dominate the risotto. In other words, it let the lobster shine through. If you decide to substitute shrimp, this base would work also.
PREPARE EVERYTHING IN ADVANCE AND THIS WILL BE EASY AS CAN BE
In order for the risotto to be the right texture and temperature, everything must be prepared ahead of time but that is not challenging. I shelled the lobster first, put the broth on to simmer and then sauteed the shallots with the rice. Once the tomato paste is added, it’s only a matter of stirring in the broth in batches.
Once the broth is all mixed with the risotto, the lobster (or shrimp) is tossed in with some heavy cream, thyme and tarragon. Finally a couple of tablespoons of softened butter (added off the heat), gives the risotto a gloss and adds delicious richness.
And there you have it. The most decadent soup of all times has now morphed into the most luxurious risotto. Jazz up your weeknight dinner or, better yet, invite some friends to ooh and aah over your creativity.
One last note. You may be tempted to add salt but I would resist. Let the lobster or shrimp take center stage and salt will just compete for the edge. Same with cheese. Resist the desire to sprinkle this risotto with cheese because cheese and seafood are not friends. Just ask any real Italian. They roll their eyes when you mention said combination!
Please enjoy this delicious dish which satisfied all my curiosity about whether a bisque could envelop sauteed rice and become a whole new dish.
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Lobster Bisque Risotto
A great combination of the luxurious Lobster Bisque with a creamy risotto. A really special dish that you will want to show off to family and friends.
Ingredients
- 8 cups seafood stock see notes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 shallots diced
- 2 1/2 cups Arborio rice
- ¾ cup dry sherry
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste 5 tablespoons finely chopped tarragon
- leaves from 15 thyme sprigs
- the meat from 2 pounds cooked lobster claws thawed (or 1 pound shelled and cooked, medium shrimp)
- 1 cup heavy cream heated
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
Instructions
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Heat the seafood stock over medium high heat and maintain at a simmer while you make the risotto.
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Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the shallots, and cook until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes.
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Add the rice, stirring to coat with oil, about 2 minutes. Turn the heat to medium high. When the rice has taken on a pale, golden color, stir in the tomato paste and cook for one minute until it is well-combined with the rice. Pour in the sherry, stirring constantly until it is fully absorbed.
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Turn the heat to medium and add 1/2 cup of the heated broth to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the lobster or shrimp and heat for two minutes. .
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When the last bit of broth is added, in the same saucepan in which you heated the stock, warm the heavy cream over medium high heat, warm the broth until it is hot but not boiling, about 3 minutes.
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Stir the tarragon and thyme leaves into the risotto along with the heavy cream. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the softened butter and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
I used Superior Broth “Better than Bouillon” Seafood Stock (2 tablespoons in 8 cups hot water) but homemade is obviously also fine. I did not add any salt because the stock and lobster were salty enough. Feel free to add salt if you feel that it needs it. I found frozen lobster claws in the seafood department of my local Kroger store. You can substitute cooked medium shrimp for the lobster.