Chef John's Lobster Mac And Cheese
Serves: 4
Eloise Gerhold
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
52
Spice
60
Sweetness
54
Sourness
43
mins
Prep time (avg)
4.9
Difficulty
Ingredients:
2 tsps
Vegetable Oil1 tbsp
Butter (melted)1.5 tbsps
All-Purpose Flour1.5 cups
Milk (cold)1 tsp
Paprika1 pinch
Ground Nutmeg1 pinch
Cayenne Pepper (to taste)1 tsp
Salt (to taste)1 tsp
Thyme Leaves (fresh)3 tbsps
Panko Bread Crumbs2 tbsps
Grated Parmesan CheeseDirections:
1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C)
2
Butter 2 gratin dishes
3
Heat oil in a skillet over high heat
4
Cook lobster tails in skillet until slightly golden and about halfway cooked-through, about 2 minutes per side
5
Transfer tails to a plate to rest
6
When cool enough to handle, remove lobster meat from shells and chop meat
7
Reserve shells
8
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the same skillet over medium heat
9
Whisk in flour; cook and stir until a paste forms and flour taste cooks off, 1 to 2 minutes
10
Add cold milk to flour mixture; whisk until completely incorporated
11
Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low, and stir in paprika, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper
12
Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick, 3 to 4 minutes
13
Season sauce with salt
14
Stir Cheddar cheese and Gruyere cheese into milk mixture until cheese is melted
15
Remove from heat and stir Worcestershire sauce into cheese sauce
16
Bring a large pot of water with reserved lobster tails and a pinch of salt to a boil
17
Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes
18
Remove and discard lobster shells, drain pasta
19
Stir macaroni into cheese sauce with thyme leaves
20
Divide macaroni mixture between the 2 prepared gratin dishes
21
Top macaroni with chopped lobster meat, poking meat down into macaroni mixture with a fork
22
Stir bread crumbs and melted butter together in a bowl
23
Add Parmesan cheese and stir
24
Top each gratin dish with bread crumb mixture
25
Bake in the preheated oven until golden and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes