*I wrote this recipe just before Christmas last year (2007)
Christmas Dinner is not always a huge family celebration, for some people it might mean dinner for 2 or 3. Why cook a turkey and all the trimmings? Only to spend the next week trying to use it up? Recently Lidl supermarkets starting selling frozen cooked lobster for just under a fiver, so why not treat yourself and spend a little less time in the kitchen on the 25th.Just by happenstance Posh Spice is also recommending Lobster for Xmas Dinner, so what are you waiting for? …..go spice up your life.
200g (8oz) risotto rice 750ml (1 ¼ pint) chicken stock 1 x 275g (11 ½ oz) lobster 150ml dry white wine 8 raw king prawns 1 diced roasted red pepper 1 diced roasted yellow pepper 1 lime zest and juice 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil 1-2 pinches of saffron 75g (3oz) unsalted butter 1 tbsp olive oil ½ Spanish onion finely diced
Thaw the lobster out following the instructions on the packet.
Twist the claws off then break them open, trying to keep the lobster meat as whole as possible and save all the lobster shell for the stock.
Remove the thin membrane inside each claw, and then use a pair of kitchen shears to open the feeler claws extracting as much meat as possible.
Separate the tail from the head and remove the meat from the shell.
Carefully slice the tail into 4 or 5 pieces and then refrigerate all the lobster meat.
Peel the king prawns and de-vein them by running a sharp knife along the back and rinsethem under cold water.
Put the prawn & lobster shells into the chicken stock and simmer for 15 minutes, then discard the shells and keep the stock warm.
Melt 50 g (2oz) butter in a medium sized saucepan and cook the onion without colour until it is soft.
Add the rice and cook for 1-2 minutes stirring the pan, then add the wine and cook on a medium heat until the wine has evaporated.
Ladle in the stock gradually stirring from time until all the stock has been incorporated.
Allow the rice to cook until it is "al dente", and then turn off the heat.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan then add the remaining butter and sauté the king prawns on a high heat as soon as they are brown add them to risotto.
Heat the Lobster and roast peppers in the olive oil and transfer it to the risotto.
Stir in the lime juice and zest and the remaining butter and season with salt and black pepper.
To Serve
Stir in the basil and serve into warm bowls.
Chef's Tips
Generally speaking seafood risottos do not have Parmesan cheese in them, but instead have olive oil, herbs and sometimes a little citrus flavour. A few rocket leaves would also go well in this risotto.
copyright Kevin Ashton 2007
Kevin Anthony Ashton is an internationally experienced Chef of 30 years who now wants to shares his recipes, culinary advice, opinions on food issues and humorous tales with you.
He writes a weekly column for Birmingham's Sunday Mercury (estimated readership 500,000) and is also a member of The Guild Of Food Writers & the British Culinary Federation. Kevin's food blog www.wannabetvchef.blog.co.uk
continues to grow in popularity. His food articles have appeared in newspapers and magazines on both sides of the Atlantic including Chicago Sun Times, Hotline Magazine, YesChef, Chef's Magazine, and Reuters.
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