**Lobster Mac and Cheese: A Luxurious Fusion of Seafood and Comfort Food**
Lobster mac and cheese is an indulgent and refined dish that combines the luxurious flavors of lobster with the comforting goodness of macaroni and cheese. This exquisite casserole features tender lobster meat, a rich and creamy cheese sauce, and a golden-brown crust. Prepared with a combination of sharp cheddar, Gruyère, and Parmesan cheeses, the sauce envelops the pasta and lobster in a velvety embrace, creating a symphony of flavors. The addition of bread crumbs and paprika adds a delightful textural contrast and a vibrant pop of color. Whether served as a main course or a decadent side dish, lobster mac and cheese is sure to impress and satisfy even the most discerning palates. This article presents three delectable variations of lobster mac and cheese: a classic version, a spicy rendition with jalapeños and cayenne pepper, and a vegetarian alternative featuring roasted butternut squash and artichoke hearts. Each recipe provides step-by-step instructions, ensuring that every home cook can create this extraordinary dish with ease.
CHEF JOHN'S LOBSTER MAC AND CHEESE
You can actually prep these ahead and bake before that romantic, possibly Valentine's, dinner. You probably want to take them out and let them warm up for 30 minutes before baking. By the way, only bake these until the tops are browned and the inside is just hot.
Provided by Chef John
Categories Seafood Shellfish Lobster
Time 1h
Yield 2
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter 2 gratin dishes.
- Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Cook lobster tails in skillet until slightly golden and about halfway cooked-through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer tails to a plate to rest. When cool enough to handle, remove lobster meat from shells and chop meat. Reserve shells.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour; cook and stir until a paste forms and flour taste cooks off, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cold milk to flour mixture; whisk until completely incorporated. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low, and stir in paprika, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Season sauce with salt.
- Stir Cheddar cheese and Gruyere cheese into milk mixture until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and stir Worcestershire sauce into cheese sauce.
- Bring a large pot of water with reserved lobster tails and a pinch of salt to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Remove and discard lobster shells, drain pasta.
- Stir macaroni into cheese sauce with thyme leaves. Divide macaroni mixture between the 2 prepared gratin dishes. Top macaroni with chopped lobster meat, poking meat down into macaroni mixture with a fork.
- Stir bread crumbs and melted butter together in a bowl. Add Parmesan cheese and stir. Top each gratin dish with bread crumb mixture.
- Bake in the preheated oven until golden and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 974.8 calories, Carbohydrate 61.8 g, Cholesterol 282.6 mg, Fat 53 g, Fiber 2.1 g, Protein 63.3 g, SaturatedFat 30.1 g, Sodium 1767.3 mg, Sugar 10.4 g
LOBSTER MAC AND CHEESE
For an elegant seafood dish, Ina Garten adds tender, buttery lobster and Gruy�re to her Lobster Mac and Cheese recipe from Barefoot Contessa on Food Network.
Provided by Ina Garten
Categories main-dish
Time 1h25m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. In a large pot, melt 6 tablespoons of butter and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. Still whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and lobster and stir well. Place the mixture in 6 to 8 individual gratin dishes.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.
LOBSTER MAC & CHEESE RECIPE BY TASTY
Here's what you need: lobster tail, homemade breadcrumb, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, cognac, whole milk, sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded comte cheese, grated parmesan cheese, mascarpone cheese, pasta, fresh chives
Provided by Dylan Keith
Categories Sides
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Boil the lobster tails in salted water until just cooked through, about 12 minutes. -- Cook 1 minute per ounce (28g).
- When cool, remove the meat and dice. Set aside.
- Toss the breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon melted butter, 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, and black pepper.
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, about 7 minutes.
- Drain and set aside.
- In a large sauce pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat.
- Add the flour and whisk, cook about a minute.
- Add the Cognac and whisk. The mixture will thicken immediately.
- Slowly add the milk, while whisking.
- Increase the heat to medium and stir occasionally until it starts to bubble.
- The sauce will thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- When it reaches this stage, add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the sharp cheddar, Comte and parmesan cheeses, one handful at a time, whisking to incorporate. When one handful is melted, add the next.
- When all the shredded cheese has been added, add the mascarpone and stir.
- Remove from heat.
- Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce and ½ of the lobster, reserving about ½ for the top.
- Pour into a bake dish, and top with reserved lobster and buttered breadcrumbs.
- Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 10 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 718 calories, Carbohydrate 58 grams, Fat 34 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 40 grams, Sugar 7 grams
HIGH-END LOBSTER MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE BY TASTY
Here's what you need: lobster tails, water, unsalted butter, all purpose flour, milk, fontina cheese, mascarpone, brandy, hot sauce, freshly grated nutmeg, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, dried cavatappi pasta, fresh chives, scallions, sharp aged white cheddar, black caviar, ramekins
Provided by Next Level Chef on Fox
Categories Dinner
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Add the water to a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add the lobster tails, leg side down, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3½-4 minutes, or until the lobster tails are cooked through and the meat is opaque and slightly firm. Remove from the water and set aside until cool to the touch, reserving the poaching liquid. Once cooled, remove the lobster meat from the tails and roughly chop.
- Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth and bubbling, 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly, until fully incorporated. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, whisking frequently, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes.
- Add the fontina cheese, mascarpone, 3 tablespoons of the reserved lobster broth, the brandy, hot sauce, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes. Fold in the cooked cavatappi, lobster meat, 3 tablespoons chives, and the scallions.
- Turn the broiler on high. Place 8 8-ounce ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Divide the mac and cheese evenly between the ramekins, making sure some of the lobster meat is visible on top. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cheddar cheese on top of each ramekin.
- Place the baking sheet under the broiler for 3-4 minutes, or the cheddar cheese is melted and golden brown.
- Let cool for 5 minutes, then top each serving with some of the remaining 3 tablespoons of chives and 1 teaspoon of caviar.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 657 calories, Carbohydrate 10 grams, Fat 41 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 61 grams, Sugar 5 grams
LOBSTER MACARONI AND CHEESE
Provided by Patrick and Gina Neely : Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 1h20m
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and adjust racks to the middle. Grease a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with butter.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water over medium heat, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and reserve.
- Add 4 tablespoons butter to a large pot over medium heat. Once the butter shimmers, add the shallots and garlic and saute until translucent. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the tomato paste and flour and stir to toast, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the white wine and reduce, by half, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the cream, whisking well to remove any lumps. Add the paprika, cayenne, and bay leaf. Bring the cream up to a simmer and turn the heat to low. Let reduce until the cream is thick and can coat a spoon, about 5 to 10 minutes. When thickened, remove the bay leaves.
- Stir in the grated cheeses, a handful at a time, combining well after each addition. Add the chopped lobster meat to the sauce and stir well. Add the pasta and stir. Add to the greased baking dish and sprinkle with the panko crumbs and parsley. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle individual servings with parsley.
LOBSTER MAC AND CHEESE
Steps:
- Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the macaroni, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Reserve about 2 cups of the hot pasta water, then drain the pasta in a colander set in the sink, and rinse with cold water to cool. Set aside.
- Return the pasta water to the large pot, and place the lobster halves in the pot, cut-side up. Return the water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and steam the lobster just until the meat firms and turns opaque, about 3 minutes. Remove the lobster and allow to cool for a few minutes, then remove the meat and cut into bite sized pieces. Reserve the shells.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes; scrape the onions into a small bowl and set aside. Place the reserved lobster shells, garlic, shallots, peppercorns, and milk into the saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, and cook for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Melt 5 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour, and stir until the mixture becomes paste-like and light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Strain the milk through a mesh sieve. Gradually whisk the milk into the flour mixture, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook and stir until the mixture is thick and smooth, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stir the Gruyere, Cheddar, and Romano cheeses into the thickened milk mixture until melted and smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the reserved lobster, onions, and macaroni. Pour the macaroni into a 4 quart casserole and smooth the top. Sprinkle evenly with the panko crumbs.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the sauce is bubbly, and the top is golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 912.7 calories, Carbohydrate 55.4 g, Cholesterol 217.7 mg, Fat 49.2 g, Fiber 2.5 g, Protein 60.9 g, SaturatedFat 29.7 g, Sodium 1112.7 mg, Sugar 5.5 g
Tips:
- Use fresh lobster meat. Fresh lobster meat has a sweeter, more delicate flavor than frozen lobster meat. If you can't find fresh lobster meat, frozen lobster meat will work, but be sure to thaw it completely before using.
- Cook the lobster meat properly. Overcooked lobster meat is tough and chewy. To prevent this, cook the lobster meat for just a few minutes, until it is opaque and cooked through.
- Use a good quality cheese. The cheese is one of the most important ingredients in lobster mac and cheese, so be sure to use a good quality cheese that you enjoy. A sharp cheddar cheese or a combination of cheddar and Gruyère cheese works well.
- Don't skimp on the butter. Butter adds richness and flavor to lobster mac and cheese. Be sure to use unsalted butter so that you can control the amount of salt in the dish.
- Use a combination of milks. Using a combination of milk and cream creates a creamy, flavorful sauce. You can also use all milk, but the sauce will be thinner.
- Season the dish to taste. Be sure to taste the lobster mac and cheese before serving and adjust the seasonings as needed. Salt, pepper, and paprika are all good options.
Conclusion:
Lobster mac and cheese is a delicious and decadent dish that is perfect for a special occasion. With its rich, creamy sauce, tender lobster meat, and cheesy macaroni, it's sure to be a hit with everyone at the table.
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