Yield: 4 portions

Ingredients:
(4) 1-¼ pound Maine lobsters
1 Maui onion, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
¼ pound asparagus tips, cleaned and grilled
1 large ear sweet corn, shuck and slice off kernels
1 Tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
24 ounces chicken broth, low sodium
½ cup currant tomatoes
cracked black pepper to taste

Asian Black Bean Sauce

Yield: 1 pint

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon shallots, minced
1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon lemongrass, finely chopped
½ teaspoon peanut oil
¼ red pepper, small dice
¼ yellow pepper, small dice
½ cup fermented black beans
10 ounces water
1 ounce brown sugar
1 Tablespoon honey
cracked black pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Thickening Agent:
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon cold water

Method:

1. Sauce: Heat a saucepan and sweat ginger, garlic, shallots and lemongrass in the oil. When clear, add peppers and beans and sweat for three minutes. Add water, honey and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes. While sauce is cooking, start the onions.
2. Combine thickening agent ingredients in a bowl and stir until creamy solution is formed. Pour this into the sauce while stirring continuously. Continue to simmer until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Finish with cracked black pepper and chopped cilantro
3. Onions: First we caramelize the onions. In a nonstick, large sauté pan, add onions and cook over medium heat until caramelized. Stirring continuously this process will take about 15 to 20 minutes. Season with cracked pepper to balance the sugars.
4. Risotto: In a low-rimmed, large saucepan, add Arborio rice and 1 cup chicken broth. Bring to a boil and turn down to a heavy simmer. Stirring continuously, allow the liquid to absorb into the rice. While rice is cooking, start the lobsters. When liquid is totally absorbed, add the second cup of chicken broth and repeat procedure. Then add the final cup of chicken broth, asparagus and the corn kernels. Cook until the rice and corn are soft and tender and season with cracked pepper.
5. Lobster: The simple rule for cooking live lobster is to simmer in water for 7 minutes for every pound of weight. Therefore, these 1-¼ pounders will poach for approximately 8-½ minutes. After this time, carefully crack lobsters and remove the claw, knuckle and tail meat. Slice the tail in half the long way and remove the intestinal tract.
6. To Plate: Using cylinders, place the caramelized onions in the center of the plate and top with risotto. Pour sauce around the risotto and top with lobsters. Surround with tomatoes and fresh tarragon sprig. Enjoy.

Nutritional Value Per Portion —
Calories: 354 Protein: 41.2g Carbohydrates: 25.7g Fat: 4.6g