Serves 6

You can use lobster meat that has already been cleaned instead of bothering with a whole lobster.

1 medium yellow onion

1 shallot

3 cloves garlic

½ bunch parsley

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1½ cups Arborio rice

¼ cup dry white wine

3½ cups Seafood or Fish Stock (see recipes on pages 113 and 114)

1½ pounds cooked lobster

¼ cup grated Asiago cheese

• Dice the onion and shallot. Mince the garlic. Chop the parsley.

• Heat the oil to medium temperature in a medium-size frying pan; sauté the onion for 2 minutes. Add the shallot, and sauté for 1 minute more. Add the garlic, and sauté for 1 more minute.

• Add the rice and mix well with the sautéed mixture. Pour in the wine and let reduce by half.

• Add the stock, ½ cup at a time, stirring until each is fully incorporated before adding more. Continue the process until all stock is incorporated and the rice is thoroughly cooked.

• Remove from heat. Stir in the cooked lobster and cheese. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Spinning Straw into Gold

Chefs have tricks that turn the mundane into the memorable. One of them is salvaging leftovers by transforming them into individual garnishes like risotto cakes. Spread leftover risotto in a 1-inch layer in whatever flat pan it will fit. Refrigerate for a day or 2; then use a cookie cutter or knife to make shapes. Dip them top and bottom in coarse cornmeal, and panfry the cakes until golden. The outside will be crispy and brown, while the inside will retain the saucy consistency for which risotto is famous.