This Seafood Risotto is an easy-to-follow recipe that will make your taste buds dance. Featuring succulent lobster tail and juicy shrimp combined with the perfect blend of aromatic rice.
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE
- Warm stock, added gradually: Vegetable stock and clam juice kept warm on the stove go into the rice a half cup at a time, so the rice keeps cooking and releases its starch into a creamy sauce.
- Toasted rice and a wine start: Arborio rice stirred for a minute in butter with shallots and garlic, then cooked down with a cup of white wine, builds flavor before any stock goes in.
- Charred lobster and shrimp: A split lobster tail and skewered shrimp, oiled and seasoned, take on char over direct high heat while the rice finishes.
- Seafood folded in at the end: Diced lobster and shrimp, parmesan, and parsley go in off the heat, a squeeze of lemon brightens the seafood, and a whole shrimp tops each bowl.
Seafood Risotto
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
4
Prep Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Calories
963
Make a delicious Seafood Risotto with succulent lobster and shrimp, cooked to perfection in rice. Treat your taste buds and create a gourmet experience in the comfort of your own home!
Ingredients
- 1 quart vegetable stock
- 1 cup clam juice
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup shallots, minced
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, fine grated
- 1/4 cup parsley, minced
- 8 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined
- 1 lobster tail
-
olive oil
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- lemon juice
Directions
- Combine the vegetable stock and clam juice in a small pot and warm on the stove top.
- Heat a 12” cast iron skillet over medium low heat. Add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic. Cook for about one minute. Add the arborio rice. Cook, stirring constantly for about one minute. Add the white wine and cook until the rice has absorbed all the liquid, about 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add 1/2 cup of the stock/clam juice mixture to the skillet of rice. Stir constantly until all liquid is absorbed. Then, add another 1/2 cup of the liquid and repeat the process. Do this until the rice is tender and cooked through. Place a lid on the skillet.
- Prepare your grill for direct, high heat grilling.
- Split the lobster tail down the middle, cutting from the bottom side, down to the shell, but not through the shell. Pop the tail open so the cut flesh is exposed. Loosen the flesh from the shell, but leave attached at the tail end.
- Slide the shrimp onto skewers. Rub a small amount of oil on the flesh of the lobster tail and shrimp. Season with salt and pepper.
- Grill the lobster, flesh side down, until lightly charred, then flip so the shell side is down. Cook until all the flesh is opaque. Grill the shrimp on both sides until lightly charred and opaque.
- Squeeze a small amount of lemon juice over the seafood. Reserve half of the shrimp. Dice the rest, as well as the lobster.
- Stir the seafood, parmesan cheese and parsley into the risotto. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, topped with a whole shrimp, for garnish.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why keep the stock warm?
Adding cold liquid to hot rice stops the cooking and makes the risotto take longer. Warm stock keeps the rice at a steady simmer.
Why toast the rice in butter before adding liquid?
A minute in the hot butter coats each grain and lightly toasts the surface, which helps the rice hold its shape and adds nutty flavor.
Why cook the wine into the rice first?
The rice absorbs the wine as it cooks off, leaving its acidity and flavor behind without any harsh alcohol taste.
Why add the stock a half cup at a time?
Stirring in small amounts lets the rice rub against itself and release starch, which is what makes risotto creamy instead of soupy.
How do I know the risotto is done?
The grains should be tender with a slight bite in the center, and the mixture should flow slowly when you drag a spoon through it. This usually takes about 20 minutes of gradual additions.
How do I know the seafood is cooked?
Lobster and shrimp are done at 145°F, when the flesh turns opaque and the shrimp curl into a loose "C." They cook quickly over high heat, so watch them closely.
Why split the lobster tail before grilling?
Cutting through the top and opening it exposes the flesh to the heat, so it chars and cooks evenly while staying attached at the tail end.
Why put the shrimp on skewers?
Skewers let you flip all the shrimp at once and keep small pieces from falling through the grates.
Why stir the seafood in at the end?
The risotto is hot enough to warm the seafood through without cooking it further, so it stays tender instead of turning rubbery.
Does this recipe contain shellfish?
Yes. It includes shrimp, lobster, and clam juice, so it isn't suitable for anyone with a shellfish allergy.
How should I store leftovers?
Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Cooked rice and shellfish keep for about 3-4 days. Reheat gently with a splash of stock until steaming hot.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
5 out of 5. The risotto is a stovetop recipe, and a hot grill pan or broiler cooks the lobster and shrimp.
Recipe Highlights
Warm stock, added gradually: Builds a creamy sauce.
Toasted rice and wine: Add depth before the stock.
Charred lobster and shrimp: Add smoky seafood flavor.
Parmesan, parsley, and lemon: Finish the dish with richness and brightness.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 13.08 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 963
- Carbs
- 72 grams
- Protein
- 106 grams
- Fat
- 22 grams
- Sodium
- 2299 milligrams
