Description
Indulge in the ultimate comfort food with our decadent lobster mac and cheese recipe. Learn how to create a creamy, cheesy dish that will leave you craving more!
Ingredients
- 1 (454 g) package elbow macaroni
- 1 (907 g) lobster, split
- 7 tablespoons (105 ml) butter, divided
- 1 small onion, diced
- 473 ml milk
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 10 black peppercorns
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 5 tablespoons (75 ml) all-purpose flour
- 454 g shredded beef Gruyere cheese
- 710 ml shredded Cheddar cheese
- 236 ml grated Romano cheese
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Collect all your components.
- Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring it to a rolling boil. Add the elbow macaroni and cook, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a firm tenderness, roughly 8 minutes. Keep aside 2 cups of the hot water from the pasta, then drain the macaroni using a colander in the sink and rinse with cold water to chill; put aside.
- Pour the reserved pasta water back into the same pot and place the lobster halves in, cut-side up. Allow it to boil, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and steam until the lobster meat is firm and opaque, around 3 minutes.
- Transfer the lobster to a tray to cool for a few minutes, then extract the meat and cut it into bite-sized portions. Save the shells for later use.
- In a saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Sauté the onion in the melted butter until it becomes soft and see-through, approximately 5 minutes. Move the onions to a small bowl and set aside.
- Place the saved lobster shells, milk, shallot, peppercorns, and garlic into the same saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and allow it to cook for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- In a separate saucepan, melt the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Gradually whisk in the flour and stir until the mixture becomes pasty and light golden brown, taking about 10 minutes. Strain the milk mixture through a sieve, slowly adding it into the flour mixture while whisking. Heat to a simmer over medium heat; stir and cook until it thickens and smooths, about 10 to 15 minutes. Take it off the heat.
- Combine Gruyère, Cheddar, and Romano cheeses with the thickened milk mixture until fully melted and creamy. Add seasoning with salt and pepper, then mix in the reserved lobster meat, onions, and macaroni.
- Transfer the mixture into a 4-quart casserole dish, smoothing out the top. Evenly sprinkle with panko crumbs.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake until the sauce is bubbly and the top has a golden-brown finish, around 8 to 12 minutes.
