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Lobster risotto may just be the actual place on earth where elegance meets comfort. Here’s how to make it the best possible version of itself.
Why we love this recipe
I always feel like risotto is pure comfort food masquerading as something very impressive. Add lobster, and it’s an extra-vivid dream come true.
This recipe is:
- Absolutely bonkers-full of rich lobster flavor when made with homemade lobster stock, and delicious with broth from the store, too
- Packed with beautiful fresh lobster meat
- Flecked with delicate green herbs (tarragon if you like, chives if you don’t)
- Layered with multiple sources of umami
- Cooked to perfection in less than 30 minutes
It makes a special first course for the holidays or a wonderful main dish whenever you want to really treat yourself.
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Arborio rice is an Italian short-grain variety of rice. Its high starch content helps create risotto’s silky, creamy broth. And its superior quality means the grains retain their al dente bite amidst the creaminess. Alternatively, you can use carnaroli rice. It works similarly but has a slightly longer grain, higher starch content, and firmer texture.
- Lobster risotto is incredibly delicious when made with homemade lobster stock. If that’s not in the cards for you this time around, other very good options include lower-salt commercial shrimp or seafood stock or chicken broth.
- Use a dry white wine that you’d be happy to drink (and serve the rest of the bottle at the table!)
- A little bit of heavy cream rounds out and gently amplifies the flavors. You can leave it out if you prefer.
- Choose a good-quality, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and ignore any draconian rules you’ve heard about not mixing cheese with seafood. Here it’s just the ticket.
- Fresh tarragon has a mild anise flavor that complements lobster beautifully. I love it in this risotto, but if you’re not a fan, you can substitute other soft herbs, like chives, dill, and/or parsley.
- There are so many ways to arrive at a pound of cooked lobster meat that I’ve dedicated a whole section to it below.
Sourcing lobster for risotto
You’ve got plenty of options for sourcing a pound of cooked lobster meat, and over the years I’ve partaken of them all.
You can:
- Start with live lobsters. Here’s everything you need to know, and more. On average, one pound of live lobster will yield about 3 ½ ounces of meat — but summer soft-shells will yield significantly less. In this case, you can also use the shells to make lobster stock.
- Buy picked lobster meat at your local fish market. From time to time I’ll go to one of my local markets and buy a gorgeous two-pound bag of flash-frozen claw and knuckle meat, then defrost it on a rimmed half sheet pan at room temperature for an hour. (Contact with metal accelerates defrosting — it’s science, but it’s also magic.) Something weird about our economy is that I often won’t pay more for this beautifully cooked, painstakingly shelled meat than I would have paid for its raw equivalent.
- Honestly, one of my favorite times to make lobster risotto is with leftovers in the days following a big feast.
- Or hey, go in the opposite direction and start with tails (or other parts) and cook them sous-vide.
How to make it
Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to make this dreamy lobster risotto recipe. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- First you’ll cook the onion in the butter and oil, then add the rice and stir until coated and toasted.
- Add the wine first and then the stock about a cup at a time, stirring from time to time. (There’s no need to stir constantly, despite what you may have heard from risotto lore.) Stir in the cream as the last addition.
- Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, herbs, and seasonings.
- Stir in the lobster meat. That’s it!
Expert tips and FAQs
Sure thing. This recipe would also be fabulous if you substituted a pound of shrimp, scallops, or crabmeat for the lobster, or indulged in any combination of the above. You wouldn’t need to make any additional changes to the recipe.
Like all risotto, this recipe is at its best shortly after cooking, so I don’t recommend going out of your way to make it in advance. That said, you can do all the prep in advance and even parcook it ahead of time according to the instructions in the recipe card below.
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a week. They’ll taste great but thicken up a bit, which is fine. You can reheat gently in the microwave. Risotto leftovers also make great arancini with fresh goat cheese or mozzarella in the middle.
More favorite elegant lobster recipes
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Lobster Risotto Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups (270 grams) arborio rice
- ½ cup (237 ml) dry white wine
- 5 cups 1(183 ml) lobster stock, fish stock, or chicken broth
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon leaves
- ½ cup (60 grams) grated parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, see note 4 below
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound (454 grams) diced cooked lobster meat
Instructions
- In a 12-inch nonstick pan or shallow Dutch oven, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to soften, about five minutes.
- Stir in the rice and cook, still stirring frequently, for a couple of minutes, until lightly toasted.
- Add the wine and cook, stirring almost constantly, until nearly absorbed. Lower heat to medium if necessary to prevent any hint of burning.
- Begin adding the stock by the cupful (or so), stirring from time to time.
- Continue adding stock as the rice absorbs it. Risotto is finished cooking when each grain of rice is tender but still has a nice hint of chewy bite, and there's a little bit of delicious starchy broth remaining. (Keep in mind that the broth will thicken as you add the cheese and let the risotto rest for a few minutes after cooking.)
- Stir in the cream and simmer briefly, until warmed and incorporated.
- Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, tarragon, parmesan, salt, and pepper. Taste for seasoning.
- Stir in lobster meat.
- Let the risotto rest for about five minutes before spooning into wide, shallow bowls to serve.
Notes
- Arborio rice is an Italian short-grain variety of rice. Its high starch content helps create the risotto's silky, creamy broth. And its superior quality means the grains retain their al dente bite amidst the creaminess. Alternatively, you can use carnaroli rice. It works similarly but has a slightly longer grain, higher starch content, and firmer texture.
- Use a dry white wine that you'd be happy to drink (and serve the rest of the bottle at the table, if you like).
- Fresh tarragon has a mild anise flavor that complements lobster beautifully. I love it in this risotto, but if you're not a fan, you can substitute other soft herbs, like chives, dill, and/or parsley.
- I've given an indication of how much fine sea salt to use, but it really depends on the saltiness of your other ingredients, as well as your personal preference. Taste before adding.
- Risotto's combination of firm-tender rice and creamy broth will be at its best shortly after cooking. I don't recommend making it in advance. If you need to, you can parcook it in advance, proceeding though step 6 above but stopping with a couple of cups of broth still to add. Finish right before serving.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a week. They'll taste great but thicken up a bit, which is fine. You can reheat in the microwave. Risotto leftovers also make great arancini with fresh goat cheese or mozzarella in the middle.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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