Sicilian Culture: The Food: Lobster Zimbale

The Food: Lobster Zimbale

INGREDIENTS (About 4 Servings)
Risotto Ingredients:
1/4 Cup of Diced Onions
1-2 Tablespoons of Butter
2-3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1/2 Cup of Arborio Rice
Lobster Sauce Ingredients:
2-3 Ounces of Cognac
1/2 Cup of Heavy cream
1/3 Cup of Tomato Sauce
1/4 Cup of Diced Celery
1/4 Cup of Diced Carrots (Optional)
1/4 Cup of Diced Onions
3-4 Lobster Tails, with Shells
2 Cloves of Garlic, sliced
Sicilian Sea Salt & Pepper to Taste
You might want to read our page on lobster first.
Risotto Directions
Heat a saucepan over medium heat with extra virgin olive oil. Once it is hot, add a tablespoon of butter. When it is melted, mix together. Add in 1/2 cup of risotto and stir, cook for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes add a cup of white wine, continue to stir when it starts to simmer. When the wine boils down to where there is no liquid left, add in a cup of water (you want the risotto cooking underneath the water line. Continue to cook and stir until the water has evaporated and add in one more cup of water. Taste to test, your risotto should be al dente but not hard, and not soggy.
Lobster Sauce Directions
In another sauce pan, heat some extra virgin olive oil and add in the diced celery, carrots (optional). After a few mintues add in your onions and sautee. After 5 mintues, add the garlic. If you like it spicy, add in hot pepper flakes to taste. Remove the lobster meat from the shells, and put the lobster aside, but add the shells to the saucepan. Stir the shells and cook until they turn bright red. Get a shot or 2 of cognac (not too much) add it to the sauce pan, and carefully ignite (we really should not have to tell you that, but the flames WILL shoot up a 10"+ high out of the pan, so do not put your face near it and use a long match or a grill lighter). Allow the cognac to burn off have the fire extinguisher near by, extinguish by starting to add the tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and allow to simmer. Add in the cream and continue to cook for about 10 minutes. Remove the shells (with a strainer if they are small) and add in more cream, continue to cook for 20 minutes.
Risotto
Add an uncooked egg to the risotto, and some of the lobster sauce, combine by stirring in well. Get a glass pyrex pudding cup (6oz works well) and grease the edges with butter. Get some fine bread crumbs and coat the pudding cup, discard excess crumbs. Get your risotto and gently fill the cup leaving 1/2" to 1" from the top of the cup. GENTLY press in the risotto, but not too hard as you do not want it to stick... put in a 350F oven for 20 minutes.
After 10 minutes in the oven, add the lobster bits to the saucepan with the tomatoes/cream, etc. Allow to cook for 5-10 minutes over low flame/heat and then turn off the heat. Remove the pyrex cups from the oven, place on a wooden cutting board, handle carefully as it is very hot. Put ut on plate upside down and gently tap the bottom of it with a butter knife to release the risotto which should now come out in one piece (if not do the best you can to piece it together or keep that one for yourself, not your guest or date). Spoon in the lobster sauce on top (not a lot, you want the risotto to be visible) and around the bottom of it. Serve!

HOME