Lobster Mac & Cheese

Chunks of Lobster Simmering in Cheesy Macaroni

Alex porter, chef at Norma’s at New York’s Le Parker Meridien Hotel. From the Macaroni and Cheese cookbook.

1 lb Elbow macaroni

2 cups Heavy cream

1-1/4 cups (5oz) Coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup (1/4 lb) Coarsely grated Monterey Jack cheese

¾ cup (3 oz) Coarsely grated blue cheese

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

Dash of Tabasco if desired

2 TB butter

1 Small onion, finely chopped (about ½ cup)

5 Lobster tails (1/4 lb each), shelled and cut into bite-size pieces (we cooked 3 (or 4?) whole, cooked lobsters and used tails and claws.)

1 Cup white wine

1-1/4 cups (5 oz) Coarsely grated Gruyere cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and cook the pasta until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve.

Preheat the oven to 350F°.

In a large (3-1/2 to 4-quart) saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a boil and reduce it by half, watching closely so it doesn’t boil over. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and blue cheese and simmer, stirring constantly, until melted. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and Tabasco (if desired). Turn off the heat and let sit, stirring occasionally.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the onion until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the lobster pieces and stir to combine.* Add the wine, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine has evaporated (about 30 minutes). Remove from the heat.

Add the cooked macaroni and the cheese mixture to the lobster mixture, stir to combine, and divide among four to six shallow, ovenproof bowls, or pour into a 9 by 13-inch baking pan.** Top with the Gruyere and bake until the sauce is bubbly and the top is golden and crusty, 15-20 minutes.

* We think the lobster shouldn’t be cooked any further in the wine. The time and stirring broke it apart and made it more tough. Maybe cook down the wine with just a few pieces of lobster, then at the last minute, when there’s hardly any wine left, add the rest of the lobster to coat and warm.

** Laura remembered how great the Mac and Cheese was at Empire in Louisville because they cook it in cast iron pots and it stays hot at the table through the meal. So, maybe make an effort to cook it in individual onion soup bowls or other ovenproof bowls.

Try Cougar Gold Cheddar (that's the great basic flavor): http://www.wsu.edu/creamery/

America's Test Kitchen was just doing baked Mac and Cheese on TV. Here are some hints they gave:

- Cook pasta al dente cause it will cook in the casserole (duh!)

- Save some pasta water (1/2 cup?) to add to pasta to make it creamer (this one was a good one and seemed to help)

- Rinse cooked mac to stop the cooking (you'd never do this with pasta destined for sauce since you want it to stick, but for mac and cheese if you don't it can get mushy)

- Make the roux (flour and water) to light golden brown. Add milk...

- Use evaporated milk instead of whole milk as it's more stable and will prevent the cheese from breaking in the oven. (this one was interesting too.)

- Stir in the flavors. They add some dried mustard as they say it helps bring out the sharp flavor in the cheddar. They also use a little nutmeg.

- They use three cheeses. Mostly sharp cheddar, but it can break on its own, and the sharper, older and drier, the more it will break. So, they also add some grated young cheese for a creamy texture and stability: Some Monterey Jack and some young cheddar/American (not the sliced stuff).

- They top with crumbs. I missed what they put in them other than bread and Parmesan.