Lobster Mac N Cheese

By krystallondon

Ingredients

• 1 lb macaroni
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 lb. lobster mushroom, chopped into chunks
• 4 Tbspn butter, plus more for buttering pan and saute-ing mushrooms
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 lb sharp cheddar, grated
• 1/4 lb fontina, grated
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• Tabasco or Sriracha (see Tip)
• freshly ground nutmeg
• meat from one ~1.5 lb. steamed lobster, chopped into chunks (see Tip)
• panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 lb cave-aged gruyere, grated

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the baking dish and set aside.
2. Cook the macaroni in well-salted and oiled boiling water for one to two minutes less than it takes to become al dente. Drain immediately and run under cold water. The macaroni should be just approaching al dente but not there yet. Set aside.
3. In a large saucepan, saute the mushrooms with a bit of butter or oil until they soften. Remove from the saucepan and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, heat the milk and cream in a separate saucepan until just before it simmers. Set aside.
5. Return the large saucepan to heat and melt the 4 Tbspn of butter on medium heat. Once melted, add in the onion and cook until they are soft and translucent but before they turn brown.
6. Once the onions are soft, gradually add the flour, whisking constantly until it bubbles gently and turns lightly golden.
7. Gradually add the warmed milk and cream to the onion and flour mixture, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened.
8. Stir in the grated cheddar and fontina cheeses to the milk mixture and remove from heat, stirring until the cheese is completely melted.
9. Season to taste using the salt, pepper, tabasco, sriracha, and freshly ground nutmeg.
10. Mix the cooked macaroni with the cheese sauce, making sure to stir until the cheese is equally distributed throughout the pasta. Fold in the cooked lobster and lobster mushrooms.
11. Pour the macaroni into the prepared baking dish. Top with a layer of panko bread crumbs and the grated gruyere cheese.
12. Bake the macaroni and cheese in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until a crust forms on top and turns slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve.

Tip: For the lobster, use the tail, knuckle, claw, and leg meat. To remove leg meat, use a rolling pin, start from the closed end of the leg, and roll upwards, squeezing the meat out of the top opening.

Tip: I prefer Sriracha to Tabasco because it doesn't have the same vinegary taste and is thicker, so a little bit goes a long way!