Grilled Lobster Tail with White Wine Risotto

This Father's Day, turn your meal into a super special gourmet dinner with these

delectable and flavorful grilled lobster tails, served with a creamy and buttery white wine risotto

He deserves it!

Lobster tails from LobsterAnywhere.com - Thank you  so much Lobster Anywhere for the amazing products :)

With Father's Day less then a week away, I know you have been wondering how to impress your dad (or your husband) with something special. Here is the perfect recipe that will show him how much you love him.
Cooking lobster tails is fast and quite simple. There are several (all very easy) methods to cook lobsters: boiling, steaming, broiling or grilling. I chose grilling, because I think it brings out the delicate flavor of the seafood. And there's really nothing better than grilled lobster on a sunny summer day, with a fine glass of chilled white wine :)
No matter how you choose to cook your lobster, here is the secret not to ruin this scrumptious seafood: do NOT overcook it. You need to keep a close look at the cooking time, based on size of your lobster. You don't want to leave it on the grill or in boiling water for too long, because (just like steak) it will turn chewy and rubbery. A big no-no.
So, just in case you didn't hear me the first time: do NOT OVERCOOK your lobster!!! You can always cook it a little longer later if necessary... but you can't turn back time :)

Here is the cooking time suggestion that I followed, from LobsterAnywhere.com:
6-8 minutes for a 6-7 oz (170-200 gr) lobster tail
8-10 minutes for 8-10 oz (225-280 gr) lobster tail
10-12 minutes for 16-20 oz (450-560 gr) lobster tail

Lobster Anywhere is where I got my lobster tails. This company offers overnight delivery of live or frozen, top quality lobsters from Maine, among other delicious seafood and products.
Their service is amazing: I got an email confirmation of the delivery, and the food arrived when expected, in a perfect package. All the directions that I needed on how to better handle the seafood, was right on top of the box. And what's amazing, the seafood was perfectly frozen ...  much better than a drive home from my grocery store three miles away, in this California warm weather.
To defrost, I placed my lobster tails in a bowl in the refrigerator, overnight. Once thawed, the only thing that I needed to do, was rinse them under running water. So easy and oh-so delicious.
You should check  out www.LobsterAnywhere.com

And here is the video of my recipe:

Ingredients: serving 2

• 2 extra large lobster tails (about 10 oz), fully defrosted
• 4 tablespoons (55 gr) of butter
• 2 garlic cloves
• parsley
• salt

For the risotto:

• one onion, chopped
• one tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of butter (divided)
• 1 cup (180 gr) of arborio rice
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) of dry white wine

Preparation time: about 45  minutes
Directions:
1. Preheat the grill at medium-high temperature while you prepare the risotto.
In a saucepan, saute' the chopped onion with one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of olive oil. Cook over medium heat until the onion is softer and translucent. It should take about 4 to 5 minutes.

2. Add the rice into the pan, and mix. Cook for about one minute.  Add the white wine to the rice, and cook while stirring for a couple of minutes, until most of the alcohol has evaporated. Salt to taste (about one teaspoon of salt should work)

3. Add 1/2 cup at a time, and stirring every few minutes. Add more water (half cup at a time) when necessary. The risotto should be fully cooked in about 20 minutes. When the rice is cooked al dente, add the remaining tablespoon of butter, mix and cover the pan and remove from the stove. Wait a couple of minutes, or until the lobster tails are ready.

4. While the rice cook, prepare the lobster tails. Don't forget to stir and add water to the risotto!
In a small saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter with the garlic crushed or minced (for a more garlicky flavor). It should take about one minute over medium heat.

5. Wash the fully defrosted lobster tail under water. Using scissor, cut the lobster tail top shell, lengthwise, down the middle. Gently pry the meat off the shells, and lay it on top of it. Help yourself with a fork if necessary.

6. Brush the lobster meat with some of the garlic infused butter over the lobster meat and season with salt. Place the lobster tails meat side up on the grill. Cover and grill for about 8-10 minutes at about 400 degrees F. You don't need to open and do anything until the end of the 8 minutes.
Do not overcook or the lobster meat will become rubbery. The lobster is ready when the shell turns red, and the meat is opaque in color and firm to the touch. Brush with more melted butter.

7. Serve on a plate with the rice on the side. Sprinkle all with freshly chopped Italian parsley.

Enjoy :)

Colavita Italian Summer Grilling Menu

Let's kick off this summer grilling season with these colorful, fresh and wholesome Italian dishes

Post sponsored by Colavita, in collaboration with Honest Cooking. 

THANK YOU Colavita for all the delicious and amazing products!

Happy Memorial Day! I hope you are enjoying your long holiday weekend as much as I am.
Today is the perfect day to kick off this summer grilling season. Maybe with a fun outdoor party by the pool, with a bunch of friends, and of course, lots of delicious food and icy-cold drinks.
Ready to fire up your grill and run for your spatula and tongs?!?
I am so ready for this summer barbecuing! And you will too, when you see the amazing Italian menu that I put together for you. A beautiful, colorful, summer table, filled with wholesome, grilled handcraft goodness. A menu that will impress your friends, and make them think you spend your whole day around the grill to pull off such an amazing combination of ingredients and flavors. But when you look at these recipes, you will see how quick and easy they are.

I made these recipes using many Colavita ingredients. I received a huge box filled with lots of their amazing Italian products. From great quality extra virgin olive oil, to a large selection of tasty balsamic vinegar. From pasta and rice to polenta and bread flour. Many delicious ingredients that I used in today's menu.



As appetizer, I prepared a perfectly crispy-on-the-outside, grilled bruschetta topped with Colavita pesto sauce, cherry tomatoes and grilled zucchini. All drizzled with Colavita garlic infused olive oil.
The secret to an amazing bruschetta  is in the ingredients. You really need high quality olive oil, flavorful tomatoes, and delicious bread with a crunchy crust and soft interior (like a French, Italian or Pugliese loaf). And the thick bread slices need to be brushed with garlicky olive oil, and grilled to perfection: just enough so that only the outer part is crunchy and golden.

This appetizer is followed by a healthy, quick and delicious pasta salad with colorful grilled peppers, savory capers and fruity green olives.
This pasta is quite easy to make and, even better, you can prepare it ahead of time if you like. All you need to do is cook the pasta, grill the peppers, and toss all the ingredients together to make this incredible combination of Italian flavors.

Last on the menu (but not least!) a super quick grilled calamari steak over a thick slice of grilled polenta, served with a tasty parsley sauce made with Colavita extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Grilling a calamari steak is super easy. A few minute each side, and the job is done.
The polenta is as easy,  but you need to prepare it ahead of time and let it cool down on a baking sheet. When cold, you cut the polenta in squares and grill. Remember not to try to flip it on the grill too soon. It will break and it will be messy. So make sure to wait until the dark grilling lines appear, and the polenta will easily peel off the grill.

Here are the links to all these recipes:

Tomato and Grilled Zucchini Bruschetta

Pasta Salad with Grilled Peppers, Capers and Green Olives

Grilled Calamari Steak Over Grilled Polenta