Lobster Mac & Cheese

Lobster Mac & Cheese
Yield 4 servings
Estimated Time , with active and inactive
Difficulty easy
Special requirements Oven-safe ramekins or porcelain bakers

Now technically this is radiatore and cheese, but you wouldn’t have known what I meant if I said that! Radiatore have a great shape for holding on to the cheese sauce, and the lobster adds nice sweet pops throughout the dish. If you can’t find radiatore, campanelle, fusilli, and even shells can do in a pinch. Just avoid elbow macaroni. You want a pasta that will hold on to the cheese sauce you’re making! If you want to just use the macaroni and cheese recipe, I’d remove the tarragon and keep the rest the same. You can also make macaroni and cheese cupcakes by dividing the recipe into a buttered and floured cupcake tray.

Ingredient Amount Procedure
Active: 5 minutes | Inactive: 20-25 minutes
1.5-2lb live main lobster 2
Water As needed
Kosher salt As needed

  1. Place live lobster in freezer while water comes to boil, about 10-15 minutes

  2. Fill a large pot with water and salt until the water “tastes like the sea” and bring to a boil

  3. Place the lobster head-first into boiling water and boil for 7-8 minutes for 1½lb lobsters, 8-10 minutes for 2lb lobsters. Slightly under-cooking the lobster here is okay as we’ll be baking it later.

  4. Harvest the meat from the claws, knuckles, and tails of the lobsters, and cut into equal bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
Active: 5 minutes | Inactive: 10-15 minutes
Dried radiatore or cascatelli pasta 8oz

  1. In the same pot and water you boiled the lobsters, cook the pasta according to the manufacturer’s directions. When done, reserve about 2 cups of pasta water, drain the pasta, and set aside.
Active: 10 minutes
Whole milk 1 cup
Cornsartch 2 tbsp
Whole-grain dijon mustard 1 tbsp
Gruyère cheese, shredded 4 cups
Mild cheddar, shredded 2 cups
Fresh tarragon, finely chopped 1 tbsp
Kosher salt As needed
Fresh ground black pepper As needed

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

  2. In a large bowl, mix together the cheese and the cornstartch until cheese is evenly coated.

  3. In a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat, add the milk and tarragon and bring to a boil, stirring often, and then reduce to a simmer.

  4. Stir in the mustard and salt and pepper to taste.

  5. Stir in the cheese until it melts and is smooth.

  6. Take off the heat, fold in the pasta and the lobster
Active: 5 miutes | Inactive: 15-20 minutes
Seasoned breadcrumbs 1 cup
Unsalted butter 2 tbsp

  1. Melt the butter and combine with the breadcrumbs.

  2. Portion the pasta into four oven-safe dishes, top with breadcrumbs, and bake until golden brown on top, 15-20 minutes
Active: 1 min
Chives, finely chopped 2 tbsp

  1. Top with chives and serve.