Lobster Mac & Cheese
If you’ve been dreaming about a dish where the essence of fresh lobster is extracted, squeezed and concentrated into one delicious gratin, well… you can wake up now. I’m gonna show you how.
Let me clarify first that we are not talking about the abomination of folding lobster meat into mac and cheese here. We’re talking about using every part of the lobster to layer and accentuate its flavor in a spectacular lobster and macaroni gratin. We start by cooking our crustacean friends in a court-bouillon to impart the meat with flavor. Next we separate the heads and chop them up before browning them in a stockpot with aromatics and deglazing the pot with Cognac. Next we add cream to make a very delicious lobster broth. The pasta is cooked al dente and finished in the reduced lobster ‘cream’ along with chunks of lobster (and in this case, ramp greens), grated Comté cheese is sprinkled over the gratins and the whole thing goes under the broiler for a few minutes until it forms a nice bubbly crust on the top. Hungry yet?
Wait a few minutes to take the first bite and the rest of the story is pure bliss. I would much rather call it lobster butter than lobster mac & cheese. Except it doesn’t contain any butter. It surely feels like it though. Must be all that cream. And lobster. Am i talking to myself again?
One more great thing about this dish is that it can be made and assembled ahead of time and simply broiled when your guests are seating down at the dinner table. Serve with a nice green salad and have a good time.
Enjoy!
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Lobster Mac & Cheese Recipe
- serves 6
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For the lobster:
- 3 lobsters, cooked in a court-bouillon
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1/2 cup cognac
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 8 ounces whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, tarragon and bay leaf tied together)
- 3 cups heavy cream
- salt and pepper, to taste
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For the gratin:
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni
- lobster meat from 2 lobsters (above), cubed
- ramp greens (optional)
- Comté cheese, grated
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For the lobster broth and meat:
- Separate the cooked lobster heads from the bodies, chop the lobster heads and cube the lobster meat and reserve.
- In a deep stockpot, heat the olive oil over high heat and add the chopped lobster heads. Brown for a few minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Add the chopped carrots, celery, onion and garlic and keep cooking until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Deglaze with the Cognac and carefully set aflame with a match. When the flames die down, add the white wine and reduce. Add the tomato paste and the crushed whole peeled tomatoes and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the bouquet garni and the heavy cream. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes at a very gentle simmer. Turn off the heat and let it cool for 15 minutes.
- At this point, if you have a hand held blender you can remove and discard the tough lobster part and blend the mixture until roughly blended before straining it through a chinois or strainer. If you don’t have a hand held blender, strain the mixture making sure to push hard on the solids to extract all the juices. You should obtain a lobster ‘cream’ more or less the same consistency as a cheese sauce. Reduce if too thin to concentrate the flavors. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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For the gratin:
- Cook the macaroni ‘al dente’ and add it to the lobster ‘cream’.
- If using ramp greens or any other kind of greens, sautee them quickly in butter before adding the cubed lobster meat. Adjust seasoning and toss with the macaroni and lobster ‘cream’.
- Scoop the mixture in individual gratin dishes or one large one. Sprinkle the Comte over the top in an even layer.
- When ready to serve, broil for a few minutes until a nice crust has formed and bubbly on top. Serve with a mixed green salad.
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May 6th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
NOOOOOOO!!! WHY???!!! WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME??!!!
i think i just gained 5 pounds just by LOOKING at this.
May 6th, 2010 at 11:19 pm
Having this might just be a MUCH better idea than going out for Mothers Day!!!
May 6th, 2010 at 11:21 pm
OH. MY. GOODNESS. I just drooled on myself. Your site should come with a warning from the Surgeon General, I mean WOW. DEADLY.
May 6th, 2010 at 11:37 pm
omg what a luxurious mac and cheese! u are so brilliant hehe
May 7th, 2010 at 12:03 am
First of all, I cannot get my hands on lobster right now and secondly, this is is taking Mac ‘n Cheese o Q2 level!!!Wow!
May 7th, 2010 at 1:51 am
mmm wow. this looks like one great seaside, put your flip-flopped feet up and eat dish. I love lobster but can never find exciting ways to cook it except for in a herb and fruit salad. YUM!
May 7th, 2010 at 1:58 am
Yes this is pure luxury and I’m making this today!
May 7th, 2010 at 4:01 am
In my hometown, this season is the time to eat lobster.
May 7th, 2010 at 9:08 am
I *need* this!!!NOW!
May 7th, 2010 at 10:12 am
OMG! I think I just exploded after reading this recipe – lobster, not one but three, cream and a lot of it. Definitely eye candy for the soul.
I have been thinking of doing a lobster mac and cheese for a couple years now. YOU took it to another level – cognac deglazing.
May 7th, 2010 at 10:16 am
What an incredible decadent spin on mac and cheese. Looks fab!
May 7th, 2010 at 10:51 am
I haven’t seen a dish here yet that I haven’t wanted to devour–this goes to the top of the list–until your next post.
May 7th, 2010 at 11:12 am
Je sors ma ch’tite cuiller.
May 7th, 2010 at 11:31 am
Way to take something decadent and make it officially absurd.
May 7th, 2010 at 11:40 am
This is beyond decadent. And I want to savor every last bite.
May 7th, 2010 at 12:06 pm
This is really, really interesting. Intimidating though! It looks like you did a great job. I feel like this is something I’d see on the show, “Chopped.” What do you think about Spinach Mac & Cheese? Very comforting! http://www.recipe4living.com/recipes/spinach_mac_cheese.htm
Thanks for sharing this cool recipe!
~Sophia
May 7th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
sweet charlotte zenman. this is just over-the-top perfect. that lobster broth? i could just jump in there…
May 7th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
What a comforting yet gourmet meal!
May 7th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
I really don’t like lobster, but I had to stop by here because this dish is very beautiful. Lovely!
May 7th, 2010 at 5:17 pm
This mac n cheese looks so so good. I’m getting hungry just looking at it!! Thank you.
Nisrined
May 8th, 2010 at 1:51 am
Very savory…
May 8th, 2010 at 2:32 am
That sounds like the way I want my mac and cheese. With lobster! Sounds super tasty.
May 8th, 2010 at 3:25 am
This sounds so delicious!!
May 8th, 2010 at 3:32 am
OK, I want this for my birthday. Only problem is hubby can’t cook – how about a ‘Complete Idiot’s Guide to Lobster Mac & Cheese’ so he can make it for me?
Oh and hey – congrats on having 2 posts in the Top 9 today!
May 8th, 2010 at 7:03 am
what a great recipe!! I have this at one of my favorite restaurants in Collingswood, and I always wanted to know how to make it!! thanks so much for sharing!
Dennis
May 8th, 2010 at 11:26 am
You’ve got to stop it with these recipes! I have got to lose some lbs. before Camp Blogaway and now I want to make this!!!!
May 8th, 2010 at 1:49 pm
Congrats once again…salivating over the keyboard just drooling at it !!!
May 8th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
This has got to be one of the most evil recipes I have ever seen. I need this now!
I wrote up some wine pairing suggestions with a link back to the this recipe in my own blog. http://ancientfirewineblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/pairing-with-lobster-mac-cheese.html
I’ll be back to see how hungry more of your creations can make me!
Jason
May 9th, 2010 at 9:32 am
Zen, this reminds me of Lynn Crawford’s show. Pitchin’ In. She was helping the lobster farmers and cooked lobster mac and cheese for their dinner. Looking soo good Zen!
May 9th, 2010 at 10:11 am
Absolutely decadent and fabulous! This is mac & cheese on a whole new level.
May 9th, 2010 at 8:24 pm
You’re going to have to start putting a disclaimer at the top of your page saying that if you’re not currently in the New York region and available to run to Zen’s house, you shouldn’t read this post.
Seriously. Why do you do these things to me??
May 9th, 2010 at 11:14 pm
Fabulous! What a truly amazing dish.
May 10th, 2010 at 8:07 pm
this is the finest version of lob-mac that I have seen. I love the depth of flavor that you are adding here, and the pure attention to detail to take this over the edge. Fantastic stuff mate
May 10th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
I used to laugh at mac and cheese, that is till I tried some while taking a bread class, scary, it was really good! Of course you have left the stratosphere by adding lobster, allez Chef!
May 11th, 2010 at 3:35 am
This looks delicious – absolutely fabulous.
May 11th, 2010 at 11:42 am
Oh man, no blue box??? KIDDING! This is freakin’ amazing. All that’s missing is to make brioche using butter that has been steeped in lobster shells and turn it into bread crumbs!
May 13th, 2010 at 9:50 am
Dude, you’re on a roll! Love that you used common macaroni rather than some kinda fancy pasta like fusilli or something.
May 13th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
this is one i’ve wanted to try.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-challenge/mizuna-lobster-mac-n-cheese-recipe/index.html
May 14th, 2010 at 5:04 pm
My mom will be in town for her birthday next week, and I think I just found the dish that I will serve her to celebrate the occasion. A labor of love, yes? Fabulous!