Lobster Risotto

      Valentines is coming up, and wanted to share a few recipes for the more sensual nature in all of us.  This is the kind of recipe that I love to make with a glass of wine in hand and stolen kisses while hovering over the stove.  The lobster has a sweet, buttery taste that pairs wonderfully with the creamy, cheesy rice and of course a nice glass of wine.  This treat is a great way to celebrate your special someone any time of year!
      If you really want to get a whole lobster (or two) and take them apart, feel free, but for ease of preparation my suggestion is to get just the tails.  First clean them by clipping down softer underside of the tail and breaking them open.  Then you remove the meat and set it aside.  You are going to use the shells to make stock.  If you bought the whole lobsters I would suggest steaming them first (because dismembering live lobsters isn't my favorite thing to do) then cleaning the body out and using the legs, body and shells from the tails and claws to make the stock.  Put them in a pot with fresh herbs (Tarragon and thyme) a couple of sliced shallots and a few crushed garlic cloves.  Let simmer for at least 30 minutes.  Then strain it so that it will be ready to go when you need it for the risotto- keep it hot, makes the cooking process work better. You'll need to have about 1 Quart of Stock in the end.  If you run out toward the end of the process no one will know the difference if you finish it with a little water.
       Now the trick with risotto is that you are slowly cooking a starchy rice so that it releases it's starches and thickens the liquid making creamy little pearls of deliciousness.  First you will want to sweat
1 shallot, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced in
2 TBS olive oil
once the vegetables become translucent add
1 Cup arborio rice (some packages will say risotto rice) It is the short grain, high starch rice  that is traditionally used in a true Italian Risotto.  You will toast the rice in the oil just slightly to make sure it is completely coated as well as to get just a bit of browning on it.  Turn the heat down to medium and stir constantly so that you don't get any burnt bits.  Once it is slightly toasty deglaze the pan with
1/2 cup white wine .Remember you need to be drinking this too. Pick something that will pair well with the lobster, I like a sweeter wine myself like a Chinin Blanc or a Pinot Gris always pairs well with seafood, but talk to your wine guy at the local market, they are always helpful when it comes to picking out the prefect wine for your event. 
      Once the wine has cooked down a bit you are going to start adding stock.  The proper thing to do it to ladle little bits (about 4 oz at a time) of HOT stock into your risotto.  So stir, reduce, ladle, stir, reduce, ladle and stir some more.  Keep up this process until the rice is cooked through (have a taste, it's ok)  Then add one last ladle of the stock and
Chopped Lobster meat- Whatever you have used, so either the tail meat, or whole lobster, maybe save the claw meat to garnish.  Honestly I'm not going to give you any amounts on the actual lobster, use as much as you have, if you have more meat in it, there is more meat, and you are not going to change the consistency of the rice that way, so you don't have to worry about it.  The flavor of the lobster comes more from the stock itself than from actual chunks of lobster meat in the rice. 
      To finish the risotto you add cheese, butter and herbs.  I like to get wedges of cheese to grate myself.  A micro plane works really well for this because you end up with cheese that looks a bit like snow and it melts evenly and quickly into the risotto.  So stir in
2 oz parmesan reggiano snow
2 oz marscapone
1 TBS butter and
1 TBS chopped tarragon and thyme
don't forget to season with salt and pepper, serve and share the love! This dish easily works as a centerpiece to your meal with a nice fresh salad and some crusty artisan bread, or you can use it as a side with a steak to make your love some surf and turf.  (You know, send him out to grill while you make the risotto).  Hope you enjoy and have fun.