Lobster has a buttery texture of its own. My favorite way to have it is stir-fried Cantonese style (hmmm...if only I could find a recipe for that!). This is a recipe that I had bookmarked a long time ago so I was glad to see Kristen had entered it into my contest because that forces me to make it.
The ingredients for this macaroni and cheese aren't cheap. Obviously lobster isn't cheap (though the story goes that back in the dark ages, it was cheap enough for peasants to afford because lobsters were considered undesirable when they were fishing). The cheese used in this recipe, also aren't cheap. As is suggested in practically all recipes and both Mac & Cheese by Ellen Brown or Mac and Cheese, Please! by Laura Werlin, freshly grated cheese off a block are recommended for the best melt and creamy texture.
Maybe I had too high of expectations for this particular recipe but I'll be honest and say it fell a bit flat of my expectations. The cheese sauce, despite taking great care in using fine ingredients and mixing vigorously, still had a little bit of grit to it. Of course lobster is great but what worked really well in this recipe was the crunchy topping. Panko breadcrumbs are awesome for creating a light-textured, super crunchy topping. Even this partial-to-stove-top girl loved this topping.
So this is the last recipe! Please make sure you're sharing and commenting on the blog posts in order to be entered for your chance to win! I'm going to think about this over the holidays and then announce a winner in the New Year so there's still time to enter. See this page for full contest details :).
To recap, here are all the entries in case you missed them:
- Best Potluck Mac and Cheese
- Smoked Macaroni and Cheese
- Bonnie's Grammy's Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Stove Top Mac and Cheese
- Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Spinach and Bacon Mac and Cheese
- and today I'm sharing Lobster Mac and Cheese
Lobster Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz. pasta shapes, such as cavatappi
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
- 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 6 oz. fontina cheese, shredded
- 4 oz. white cheddar cheese, shredded
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
- Dash grated nutmeg
- 12 oz. cooked lobster meat, cut into ½-inch chunks
- ½ cup panko Minced fresh chives, for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish or individual gratin dishes. Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook the pasta until a few minutes shy of al dente according to the package directions. Drain well in a colander.
- While the pasta is in the colander, return the pot to the medium heat. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in the pan. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until light golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk in small additions until completely added and no lumps of flour remain. Stir in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Continue to heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 5 minutes. Once bubbling, cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent burning. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the cheese and mix until completely melted. Return the pasta to the pot and mix to coat well with the cheese sauce. Gently fold in the lobster meat. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
- In a small bowl, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in the microwave. Stir in the panko and toss until the crumbs are evenly coated. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the pasta in the baking dish. Bake uncovered for about 20-25 minutes or until the top is browned and the cheese is bubbling. Serve warm topped with fresh minced chives, if desired.
Source: Annie's Eats as submitted by Kristen H.
