Lobster Mac and Cheese originally published as Luxurious Comfort Food on Food and Fond Memories on January 18, 2011 by sandyaxelrod Leave a Comment (Edit)
Lobster Mac and Cheese
Lobster Mac and Cheese
After spending days redesigning my blog’s appearance I am finally close to being finished. Close is the operative word here. What I have left to do is probably going to be the most difficult part and that is creating “pages”. Even the directions say that this is not for the faint of heart. But I will be brave and continue on to create the website that I really want. I do hope you like what I have done so far. So please leave me a comment and let me know what you think of the new look.
Now, after working so diligently at the computer I really needed a meal that would be blog worthy and comforting but somehow be haute cuisine at the same time. We all know that one of the most popular comfort foods is Mac and Cheese. No I am not talking about the one that comes out of a box. I like to know the quality of my ingredients and use fresh whenever possible so that type of meal is not one that I would ever make. Steve and I had taken a break to do a little food shopping and when we got to COSTCO they were having their weekend “Seafood Festival”. The gorgeous lobster tails were calling me and I had just finished reading about Bobby Flay’s Mac and Cheese Throwdown in his newest book. And there you have it – the perfect combination. We bought one hefty lobster tail that weighed in at about two thirds of a pound, a wedge of fontina cheese, a chunk of Vermont cheddar, and pieces of Irish white cheddar and Asiago cheese. When we got home I carefully removed the lobster tail meat from the shell and cut it into chunks. I grated all of my cheeses in my food processor fitted with the shredding blade. And then followed Bobby’s instructions. The only change I really made was to add the lobster which I sauteed quickly in the rendered pancetta fat and garlic. Not only did the finished dish look great but it tasted absolutely amazing. You could taste the lobster flavor throughout but when you bit into a piece of lobster meat – OH MY G-D – nirvana! I served a simple salad with a Sherry Vinaigrette with the meal and a Spanish Cava which was a perfect accompaniment because it cut through the richness of the meal. Following the recipe and adding the lobster gave us six really ample portions so I chilled the leftovers to allow them to firm up and divided them into two more meals for the freezer, or so I thought. Dinner was so good that we actually ate the same exact meal the next night!! Oh well, at least I know that I will have one more Lobster Mac and Cheese meal in my future.
Luxurious and Yummy Lobster Mac and Cheese
Lobster Mac and Cheese
This dish is OMG!!! Nirvana!!!
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Ingredients
Unsalted butter, for the baking dish
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (1-inch thick) slice pancetta, cut into small dice
1 lobster tail weighing 12-16 ounces, removed from shell and cut into chunks
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 cups whole milk, or more if needed, hot
4 large egg yolks, lightly whisked
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups (8 ounces) grated Asiago cheese, plus more for the top
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Irish white cheddar, plus more for the top
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated sharp yellow cheddar, plus more for the top
1 cup (4 ounces) grated aged fontina cheese, plus more for the top
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for the top
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked just under al dente
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Butter the bottom and sides of a large deep baking dish or casserole and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
3. Add garlic to the fat in the pan and cook until light golden brown, 1 minute. Add the lobster to the pan and saute until almost opaque. Remove and reserve for later. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk, raise the heat to high, and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the eggs until incorporated and let cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the thyme, cayenne, and all the different cheeses until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper. If the mixture appears too thick, add additional warm milk, 1/4 cup at a time.
4. Put the cooked macaroni in a large bowl, add the cheese sauce, reserved pancetta, reserved lobster, and the parsley, and stir until combined. Transfer to the prepared baking dish or casserole.
5. Combine an additional 1/4 cup each of Asiago, cheddars, fontina, and Parmesan in a bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top. Bake until the dish is heated through and the top is a light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
I imagine it would still be delicious, but just not as decadent, if you omitted the lobster. Even without the lobster it is an awesome Mac and Cheese!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes + 10 minutes resting
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
