A subtly sweet tomato risotto with chilli kick alongside decadent chunks of lobster makes a perfect special occasion meal.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- 1ltr chicken stock
- 2 small cooked lobsters
- 60ml olive oil
- 1 red onion, diced small
- 300g arborio rice
- 120ml white wine
- 1 tin crushed/chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Good pinch sea salt
- Fresh basil to serve
Bring the stock to a simmer over low heat in a medium pan. Using kitchen scissors, cut through the soft shell on the belly of the lobster and gently remove the tail meat, crack open the claws and remove the meat. Put the left over lobster shell into the stock and cut the cooked lobster meat into bite-sized chunks. Set the meat aside.
Let the stock simmer for 10 minutes then strain through a sieve to remove all the shell. Put the stock back on the heat on a low simmer.
In a large pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and onion. Sweat the onion, stirring until soft, about 5 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat the rice. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
Add the wine to the rice and stir, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan. When the wine cooks off, add a large ladle of stock and continue to cook and stir. When the stock cooks off, add another ladle of stock. Continue this process of adding broth and cooking it off, stirring continuously.
When you are about 15 minutes into cooking and have added most of the stock, add the tomatoes, chilli flakes and cinnamon. After 2 minutes, add the rest of the stock and continue to cook another 5 minutes or until the rice is tender and cooked through and risotto has thickened.
Add the lobster chunks and cook another minute until the lobster is just cooked through. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper, top with fresh basil leaves and if you like some chopped fresh chilli and enjoy.