Baby Lobster Tails

This is a great way to use baby lobster tails without much fuss, and can easily be done at home, if the ingredients are handy.Even if they are not one can source them easily. Bisque (lobster shell soup)can be made with little patience. The other thing is that one can substitute baby lobsters with prawns or scampi with equally good results.

Ingredients:

2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup lobster bisque
2 tbsp tomato salsa
1/2 kg lobster tails (shelled and de veined)
1/4 cup Shallots (sambhar onion,roasted and peeled)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup white wine
1 tsp minced fresh thyme
1 tbsp minced parsley
5 cups stock (chicken,vegetable or shellfish)
handful aragula leaves (coarsely chopped)
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp pepper
Salt to taste.

Direction:

• Place a heavy based medium sized saucepan on the flame and put olive oil in it.Add chopped garlic and lobster meat and saute till garlic turns golden.Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Return the pan to the flame and add Arborio rice with extra spoons of olive oil.Stir vgtill all the grains glisten upon being coated.Deglaze withwhite wine and stir.
• Gradually add the lobster bisque and continue to stir the rice.Add the thyme and the stock (preferably simmering)gradually and continue stiring.
• When the risotto begins to look creamy and runny,add tomato salsa,fresh herbs and shallots,check to see if the rice is cooked (about 12-15 minutes).
• Many people do not prefer al dente risotto.Excess cooking leads to loss of quality.Take it to over al dente if you so please,but stop right there.
• Return the sauteed baby lobster tails to the risotto,in one swift movement,garnish with aragula leaves,Parmesan and butter.Give it a few final turns and serve piping hot.

Note: To make shellfish stock, you need to simmer the lobster shells and heads with some vegetables (mire poix),aromatics and water for about half an hour.if you roast and crush the shells and simmer them for an hour or so,while skimming away the froth, and blend the whole concoction with the vegetables and other good stuff,strain it through a fine sieve,you will get the bisque.