Lobster Risotto

There's nothing better than this creamy lobster risotto made at home that copies the Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen recipe. I have always loved the look (and tantalizing taste!) of the creamy risotto rice dish and I have spent MANY hours perfecting this popular copycat recipe for you to make at home.

Serve immediately, garnished with optional Parmigiano and chives or parsley. See all of my favorite risotto side dishes here.

Jump to:

• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 How To Make Lobster Risotto
• 💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
• ❓ Can I Use Frozen Lobster For My Lobster Risotto?
• 👨‍🍳 More Gordon Ramsay Copycat Recipes
• 📖 Recipe Card
• 💬 Comments & Reviews

So, what else would a foodie do but try to find and match the particulars of Gordon's HK hit dish? After many attempts, I have this delightful lobster risotto perfected!

The recipe shared below is indeed very close to the recipe used for the lobster risotto seen on the show.

Any modifications and/or personal preferences will be noted in parentheses or in the recipe notes section.

If you're new to making risotto, check out the guide to making the perfect risotto every time! You can also read my tips for getting the best rice for risotto too!

🥘 Ingredients

For the best flavor I give the instructions for making your own lobster stock. Alternately, you can use a store bought lobster, fish, or seafood stock.

Quick Lobster Stock

• Water: 6 cups (or 5 cups water and 1 cup white wine)
• Lobster Shells: 1½ lbs (from about 3, 8 oz lobster tails)
• Onion: 1 medium, peeled and roughly chopped
• Carrot: 1, sliced
• Celery: 1 rib, sliced
• Tomato: 1, chopped (or 8 oz can crushed/diced tomatoes)
• Bay Leaf: 1
• Seasoning: Salt and pepper, to taste

Lobster Risotto

• Olive Oil: 1 tablespoon, extra virgin
• Shallots/White Onion: 1 tablespoon minced
• Garlic: 2 cloves, minced
• Arborio Rice: 1½ cups (or use Carnaroli rice)
• White Wine: ¼ cup, dry (used more, about ⅓ cup)
• Lobster Stock: 4 cups (from quick lobster stock, may use up to 6 cups)
• Lobster Meat: Diced, reserved from making stock
• Butter: 2 tablespoons, more as needed
• Mascarpone/Cream Cheese: 2 tablespoons (or 4 tablespoons cream cheese)
• Lemon Zest: From 1 whole lemon
• Seasoning: Salt and pepper, to taste
• Chives: 2 tablespoons, fresh, chopped
• Parmigiano Cheese: Shaved for garnish

🔪 How To Make Lobster Risotto

One of the most important aspects of a fabulous lobster risotto is using lobster shells for the stock. Taking the extra time to make your DIY stock for this risotto dish is rewarding!

Make A Quick Lobster Stock

1. Bring 6 cups of water (for this recipe, 4 cups stock to 1 cup Arborio rice in general) to a rolling boil, then add the fresh or thawed lobster and boil for an additional 4 minutes. The internal temperature of the lobster should be 145 ºF ( 63 ºC ) as recommended by the FDA food safety guidelines.
2. Remove the cooked lobster and plunge it into ice water to stop the cooking process. Next, remove the lobster meat, dice the meat, and refrigerate it until ready to add to the risotto.
3. Return the lobster shells to the boiling water used for cooking the lobster. Add the vegetables to the boiling water and lobster shells: onion, carrot, celery, tomato, plus the bay leaf, and then salt and pepper.
4. Reduce heat and simmer the broth for 20 minutes, then strain out the lobster shells, vegetables, and bay leaf.

(for the risotto) Return the broth to your saucepan and keep on medium heat to add to the risotto.

Make The Risotto

1. Bring a large skillet or frying pan to medium heat, add olive oil, minced shallots, and minced garlic, and cook for 1-2 minutes until the shallots and garlic are slightly softened. Add the Arborio rice and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the white wine.
2. Stir for about a minute while cooking the wine, then add about one-third to half of the lobster stock to the skillet or frying pan of rice. *The lobster stock links contained in this text will take you to our 'How To Make Lobster Stock' page, which includes a video. The quick lobster stock instructions are on this page.
3. Stir the rice occasionally, and cook for 3-5 minutes or until most of the lobster stock has been absorbed. Add the remaining lobster stock in portions (I use a ladle portion each time) until your Arborio rice is slightly translucent and still al denté (firm to the bite) in texture.
4. It takes about 20 minutes once you start adding the lobster stock, and you should still be able to see a bit of the white core of the Arborio rice. Then you have achieved a nice al denté texture to your risotto.
5. Once the risotto has the right texture, add the diced lobster meat, butter, mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese), lemon zest, and salt & pepper (to taste). Stir the ingredients together to incorporate them throughout the risotto until you have a creamy lobster risotto.

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes

• Heat the Stock: Keep your lobster stock warm in a pot while preparing the risotto. This helps maintain a consistent cooking temperature when added to the rice.
• Sauté Onions to Translucency: Cook the onions in butter until they are translucent before adding the rice. This step builds a flavorful base for the risotto.
• Gradual Addition of Broth: Add the hot broth to the rice one cup at a time, stirring continuously. Wait until each addition is almost fully absorbed before adding more.
• Stir in Lobster at the End: Add the lobster meat towards the end of cooking. This ensures it heats through without overcooking.
• Seasoning and Cheese: Finish the risotto with Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper to taste. The cheese adds creaminess and depth to the flavor.

❓ Can I Use Frozen Lobster For My Lobster Risotto?

Yes! You most certainly can! Please follow these important guidelines for cooking with frozen lobster:

• Always thaw frozen lobster completely before cooking.
• Lobster (and all seafood) should be thawed in the refrigerator overnight. Do not thaw in a sink of warm water!
• Cook lobster as directed here (once thawed) until the internal temperature is 145°F (63°C) as read by a digital meat thermometer. The meat will turn an opaque white color when done.

👨‍🍳 More Gordon Ramsay Copycat Recipes

• Fresh Pea & Mint Risotto
• Mushroom Risotto
• Scrambled Eggs
• Shepherd's Pie

📖 Recipe Card