Lobster Mac & Cheese

By fetag

Ingredients

• 1 1 3/4- to 2-pound live lobster
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 12 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, shells reserved
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup chopped peeled carrots
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled, flattened
• 1 Turkish bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/4 cup Cognac or brandy
• 3 cups water
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 1/2 cups grated Fontina cheese (about 6 ounces)
• 8 ounces shell or gemelli pasta
• 6 ounces fresh crabmeat, picked over
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

plunge lobster headfirst into pot of boiling water; boil 4 minutes

using tongs, transfer to cutting board

cut off tail and claws

crack tail and claws and remove meat

cut meat into 1/2-inch pieces

cut body and shells into 2-inch pieces

chill meat; reserve shells

heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat

add lobster body, lobster shells, and shrimp shells to skillet and sauté 4 minutes

add onions, carrots, celery, garlic and bay leaf sauté 6 minutes

add tomato paste; stir 1 minute

remove from heat and stir in Cognac

add 3 cups water and bring to a boil

reduce heat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes

strain mixture into bowl, pressing on solids to extract liquid; discard solids

set stock aside

heat 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over medium-high heat

add shrimp and sauté until just opaque in center, about 3 minutes

cool slightly and coarsely chop shrimp

melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium heat

add flour and stir 1 minute

add stock and cream and simmer until sauce is reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes

add cheese and stir until smooth

season with salt and pepper

remove from heat

meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite

drain and stir lobster, shrimp, pasta, crab, and 2 tablespoons butter into sauce

stir over medium-low heat until heated through, about 2 minutes

season with salt and pepper

serve topped with chives