Can you spot the lobster peeking out from under the bright red berries?
It is strawberry season, and one day, Grant came home with way too many strawberries. We have had strawberry daquiries, strawberry-spinach salads, I’m making strawberry ice cream, strawberries over angel food cake, strawberry scones … how many ways can I use strawberries without its BFF, rhubarb? (Yankee food, btw)
A weird combination of seafood and fruit resides in this blog. And it somehow works. I never thought of strawberries as acidic, but in risotto, they provide the same juicy acidity that a tomato might, folded in just at the end. And with lobster? Who would have thought?
I found this first at Homerun Ballerina, where the blogger said she’d had similar dishes in other restaurants – lobster pairs well with fruit and slowly cooked rice, I guess.
While I did have fresh lobster, I wouldn’t cook it so long next time. I might sear it in butter at first and then stir in at the end, so it doesn’t get too overcooked. Either way, the lobster is a nice, sweet complement to the strawberries and savory risotto mixture.
Adapted from Homerun Ballerina:..
Lobster and Strawberry Risotto
Ingredients:
- 2 lobster tails, thawed and pulled from shells using sharp scissors, then chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 small onion, diced
- 1 cup strawberries, sliced into chunks
- 1 T unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup of arborio rice
- 3 cups of chicken stock
- 1/2 cup of dry white wine
- a few sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground fennel
- 1 T unsalted butter for the end
Bring chicken stock to a boil and then lower to simmer.
Heat large skillet over medium and add butter. Once sizzling, add onion and cook until transparent. Add lobster and cook 30 seconds. At this point you could remove the lobster to add back in at the end, but I just left it in (and it got a bit overcooked). Add herbs and spices. Add your rice and stir to coat, 30 sec. Add wine and stir until absorbed, then turn heat to low. Add simmering chicken stock by the ladle-full, stirring constantly until absorbed. Keep adding liquid and stirring until rice just loses its grainy middle but is not mushy, about 20-25 min (You may not use all your stock).
Off the heat, add the last Tablespoon of butter and strawberries. Season to taste and serve!
Homerun ballerina has you stirring in mascarpone at the end, but I chose not to. I even think a little shaved Parm would be good at the end. Very fun, and I love how the lobster is the same color as the strawberries!
Enjoy, friends! xoxo
Seasoned to Taste 