Lobster Mac & Cheese
This is my idea for a perfect Lobster Mac & Cheese.
Equipment
- 1 stockpot 16-quart
- 2 saucepots 6-quart
- 1 baking dish 9 x 13
- 2 mixing bowls Large
- 1 colander
- 1 Microplane
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 box grater
- 2 cutting boards 1 meat-safe
Ingredients
Salt Ratios:
- 1/4 cup kosher salt For boiling the lobster
- 1 1/2 tbsps kosher salt For cooking the pasta
Ingredients for the Lobster Mac & Cheese:
- 4 cups cooked lobster meat Large dice (equivalent to approx. 3 (1 1/2 lb) lobsters)
- 8 tbsps butter Unsalted (4 tablespoons for greasing the baking dish)
- 4 tbsps all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk *scalded
- 1 tsp nutmeg Freshly-grated
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsps black pepper Freshly-ground
- 1 cup thawed frozen corn (optional)
- 1 cup Mascarpone cheese Room temperature
- 1/2 cup Brie cheese Rind removed and diced
- 1 cup Fontina cheese Freshly-grated
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Freshly-ground
- 3 tbsps fresh chives Finely minced
- 3 tbsps tarragon leaves Finely chopped
- 2 16-ounce packages cooked Paccheri Rigati Cooked just under al dente (large rigatoni-shaped pasta substitute: Rigatoni).
The Topping for the Lobster Mac & Cheese:
- 4 tbsps butter Unsalted and melted
- 1 1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsps Italian flat-leaf parsley Finely chopped
- 1 cup Fontina cheese Freshly-grated
- 3/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Freshly-grated (using a box grater)
Instructions
- Salt Ratios:1/4 cup of kosher salt for boiling the lobster1 1/2 tablespoons of Kosher salt for cooking pastaStart by buttering a casserole dish.Instructions on How to Cook A Lobster:Bring a 16-quart pot (a little over half-filled) with well-salted water to a rapid boil. Drop the lobster into the pot, and quickly place the lid on. Using a towel, hold the lid in place for just a minute, giving the water a chance to boil, then start the cooking time. After about 15 to 20 minutes, remove the lobster from the pot and set it aside to cool. Repeat this process two more times.Cook 16 ounces (1 pound) of pasta in salted, boiling water. Remove before the al dente stage, between 8 and 10 minutes, then drain. The pasta will finish cooking during the baking process.Remove the lobster meat from the tails and claws. Chop the lobster meat into large chunks and place it into a bowl.Preheat oven to 375°F.In a large saucepot, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Continuously whisk the flour and butter to form a *roux. Cook, whisking constantly until the mixture turns blond in color and paste-like, about 2 minutes. Again, continue whisking while slowly adding the (*scalded) hot milk.Continue to whisk as the sauce thickens. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes more. Sprinkle in the grated nutmeg, Kosher salt, and fresh-ground black pepper, continuously whisking until the sauce thickens and is smooth. Remove from the heat, switch to a wooden spoon, stir in the chopped tarragon, finely chopped chives, freshly grated and ground cheeses, and corn (optional). Last, add the cooked lobster meat. Mix to combine.Add the cooked pasta into the cheese sauce, stirring gently so as not to break up the pasta. Pour the entire mixture into the buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle the reserved Fontina and 3/4 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese evenly over the top.For the crumb topping, add the melted butter to the Panko bread crumbs. Mix in the Italian flat-leaf parsley. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on top.Allow the casserole to rest for 15 minutes before serving.There you have it, my Lobster Mac & Cheese.
Notes
1) For a 1 1/2 pound lobster, the cook time is 15-20 minutes.
2) They will be a vibrant red color when fully cooked.
3) I prefer to cook lobsters one at a time.
4) *Roux is a mixture of fat (especially butter) and flour used in making sauces
5) *Scalded milk is milk heated to a near boil. Small bubbles will appear around the inner rim of the pot.
6) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.