Lobster and Shrimp Risotto
A Laid-Back Camp-inspired seafood feast: grilled spiny lobster with seasoned butter enjoyed as an appetizer, followed by a seafood risotto built on homemade lobster and shrimp stocks with panfried vegetables and Parmesan.
Ingredients
| 1 | spiny (rock) lobster (about 2 pounds, or 907 g) (Grilled Lobster) | |
| 2 pinches each | salt and black pepper, each (Grilled Lobster) | |
| 1/4 cup (55 g) | unsalted butter, at room temperature (Grilled Lobster) | |
| 1/2 teaspoon | 2.5 ml | paprika (Grilled Lobster) |
| 1/2 teaspoon | 2.5 ml | chili powder (Grilled Lobster) |
| 3 | cloves garlic, crushed (Grilled Lobster) | |
| 1/2 | zest of lemon, reserving the lemon half for squeezing (Grilled Lobster) | |
| 1/2 tablespoon | 7.5 ml | canola oil, for greasing (Grilled Lobster) |
| 5 | white button mushrooms, thinly sliced (Panfried Vegetables) | |
| 2 | stalks asparagus, cut into 1/4-inch (6 mm) pieces (Panfried Vegetables) | |
| 1/2 | medium red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips (Panfried Vegetables) | |
| 1 tablespoon | 15 ml | olive oil, divided, for cooking (Panfried Vegetables) |
| 3 pinches each | salt and black pepper, divided, each (Panfried Vegetables) | |
| 12 | medium-size shrimp with heads and shells (about 1 pound, or 454 g) (Shrimp Stock) | |
| 1 tablespoon | 15 ml | olive oil (Seafood Risotto) |
| 1 | medium onion, finely chopped (Seafood Risotto) | |
| 5 | cloves garlic, minced (Seafood Risotto) | |
| 2 cups (380 g) | arborio rice (Seafood Risotto) | |
| 1/4 cup (66 g) | tomato paste (Seafood Risotto) | |
| 1/2 cup (68 g) | frozen vegetable medley (corn, peas, carrots, green beans) (Seafood Risotto) | |
| 1/2 cup (50 g) | grated quality Parmesan (Seafood Risotto) | |
| ā | salt and black pepper, to taste (Seafood Risotto) | |
| 1 | lemon, cut into wedges (Seafood Risotto) |
Instructions
Version 1.
Special tools: Outdoor Grill; Charcoal (optional); 3 grill-safe pots (optional).
- To make the grilled lobster: Split the lobster in half lengthwise from head to tail and carefully loosen the meat from the shell by pushing it with your fingers. (Don't remove the meat from the shell.) Be careful not to break up the meat. Season each half with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- In a medium bowl, mix the butter, paprika, chili powder, garlic, and lemon zest until well combined. Set aside.
- Grease the outdoor grill grates with the canola oil, then preheat the grill to high, around 425Ā°F (220Ā°C). Place the lobsters in their shells, meat sides down, over direct heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until charred. Flip the lobsters, shell sides down, and place over indirect heat. Using a spoon or spatula, spread 1 tablespoon of the seasoned butter over the lobster meat of each half and continue to grill for another 3 to 5 minutes, until tender or the internal temperature reaches 140Ā°F (62Ā°C). Remove from the heat and squeeze fresh lemon juice onto the lobsters. Immediately enjoy the lobster meat as an appetizer! Reserve the lobster shells for the lobster stock and the leftover seasoned butter for the shrimp stock.
- To make the lobster stock: Add the reserved lobster shells to a medium pot (with a lid) and add enough water to submerge the shells. Cover with the lid and let simmer for 30 minutes over medium heat. Remove the shells and set aside.
- Meanwhile, prep the vegetables for the panfried vegetables, reserving trimmings and cuttings (scraps) for the shrimp stock.
- To make the shrimp stock: Peel and devein the shrimp and remove the heads. Put only the shrimp heads and shells in a separate medium pot, reserving the shrimp meat for the seafood risotto. Add the reserved seasoned butter from the grilled lobster and the scraps from the vegetable prep to the pot.
- Cook over a medium heat until the shells turn orange, about 3 minutes, then add enough water to cover the ingredients and simmer for 7 minutes. Strain into a heatproof container and extract extra liquid by pushing the ingredients on the strainer. Set aside.
- To make the panfried vegetables: In a medium skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and a pinch each of salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes, or until soft, then remove from the pan. Heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, then add the asparagus and another pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes, then remove from the pan. Lastly, add the bell peppers and the remaining pinch each of salt and pepper and cook until tender, about 4 minutes, then remove from the pan.
- To make the seafood risotto: Bring the lobster and shrimp stocks to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat the 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the rice and toast it by stirring with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, combine with the rice, and cook for 2 minutes, or until the paste darkens.
- Ladle in 1 cup (240 ml) of the hot lobster stock. Stir the stock and rice to combine. From here you must stir to scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent the rice from sticking and burning, once every 1 to 2 minutes. Continue to ladle in 1 cup (240 ml) of the lobster stock every time the rice absorbs the stock. Do this until all the lobster stock is used, then do the same with the shrimp stock, stirring every 1 to 2 minutes to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the rice is almost al dente. This entire process takes about 20 minutes, and you should have leftover shrimp stock to pour over when serving.
- At the 20-minute mark, add the reserved shrimp meat. Once the shrimp turn orange, gently fold in the panfried vegetables and frozen vegetable medley. The rice should be al dente around the 25-minute mark. Check the rice by tasting itāit should be tender yet firm.
- Remove the risotto from the heat, gently fold in the quality Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a small ladleful of shrimp stock for extra "shrimpy" flavor.