Maine Lobster Macaroni Cheese With Truffle Oil Food

TRUFFLED LOBSTER MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• For the cavatelli: Mix the flour and 1 teaspoon salt into a mound on a clean working counter or large cutting board. Make a well in the middle. Build the well as high as possible to avoid water running out. Add some of the water to the well and use a dinner fork or your fingers to gently mix the flour into the water without collapsing the walls of the mound. Using your other hand to support the wall of flour helps keep the water from leaking. As you mix, slowly add more water to form a soft and sticky dough. It should not be either too dry or too wet. When you touch it, it should stick to your finger only slightly. Keep in mind that as you knead, the dough gets softer. If the dough is too wet, add a little flour. Knead the dough with a periodic dust of flour for 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest about 1 hour. If you don't have time, 20 minutes would do.
• This is only 1 of many ways to shape the cavatelli: Cut off a small piece of dough and roll it into a long rope about 1 centimeter (.4 inch) in diameter. Cut the dough into 1-centimeter-long (.4-inch-long) pieces. Place a piece in front of you horizontally and rest your index and middle fingers on it. Press the dough as you pull your fingers towards you. As you pull, the dough rolls to form the cavatelli shape. Place the pasta pieces on a lightly-floured baking sheet or plate.
• For the lobster cheese sauce: Heat a stockpot with the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the lobster shell-side down and saute for 6 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and peppercorns and sweat the vegetables, then add the brandy and cook for about 4 minutes. Remove the lobster and set aside. Add 4 cups water to the pot, bring to a boil and simmer until reduced by at least 25 percent.
• Meanwhile, make the roux. Add the clarified butter to a pan over low heat and gradually whisk in the flour until it gets very thick.
• Strain the stock and place it back in the same pot. Bring to a boil, whisk in the heavy cream and roux and simmer to the desired consistency. Stir in the provolone, asiago, fontina and Parmesan until melted. Stir in the truffle oil.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Cook about 6 ounces of the cavatelli until they float to the top and are al dente, about 4 minutes.
• For the crumb topping: Mix together the breadcrumbs, parsley, butter, truffle oil and a pinch salt and pepper in a small bowl.
• Remove the lobster meat from the shell and cut it into pieces. Fold it into the cheese sauce, then fold in the pasta. Pour the mixture into an oven-safe dish and top with the crumb topping. Bake for about 6 minutes. Enjoy your Truffled Lobster Mac and Cheese!

LOBSTER MAC AND CHEESE

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.

TRUFFLE LOBSTER MAC N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Make the lobster butter: In small bowl, add the lobster roe and macerate with a whisk. Add 2 tablespoons butter and emulsify the roe with the butter.
• Make the breadcrumbs: Heat 4 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium heat until melted and foamy, about 1 minute. Stir in the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
• Make a bechamel: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and heavy cream.
• In a large saucepan, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the rosemary and saute until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until it forms a light golden paste (make sure it doesn't brown), 5 to 6 minutes. Add the warm milk and cream and whisk until incorporated. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Add the cheeses and whisk while the bechamel cooks, but do not let it boil. Cook until the cheeses are melted, then remove from the heat and season to taste with salt.
• Add the lobster butter and truffle butter to the bechamel and stir to fully incorporate. Add the cooked pasta and lobster meat and stir gently to combine. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs. Bake until heated through and bubbling around the edges, about 20 minutes.

BLACK TRUFFLE MAC AND CHEESE (HANGOVER GRILLED CHEESE)

Steps:

• For the mac and cheese: Heat the truffle oil in a large pot over low heat. Add the shallots and thyme and cook until the shallots are golden. Add the garlic and continue cooking until golden. Add the vegetable base and stir. Add the wine and cook until reduced, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the flour slowly, stirring, until a thick paste forms. Add the cream and simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the mixed cheese (except for the Parmesan and Cheddar) slowly while stirring. Once all the cheese is in, you will begin to see a nice sauce come to life. Continue to cook, stirring, about 15 minutes. Add the Parmesan at the very end. This cheese is like glue; it holds the sauce and the pasta together.
• While the cheese sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water with 1/4 cup salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and add a touch of olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking. The pasta is now ready to soak up the cheese sauce. Return the pasta to the pot and stir in the cheese sauce.
• For the sandwich: Preheat a flattop to 350 degrees F.
• Place the Cheddar slices and lobster if using in between the bread slices and close the sandwich. Ladle some clarified butter onto the flattop. Place the sandwich on the flattop and cook until the bread is golden and crisp and the cheese is melted. Flip and cook until golden on the other side. Open the bread and stuff with a heaping serving spoon of the mac and cheese. Close the sandwich, cut and serve.

LOBSTER MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Take the lobster and twist the claws off, then use a rolling pin to crack the claws and pick the meat out. Peel the tail, exposing and removing the fleshy meat. Roughly chop all of the meat, then cover and set aside in a bowl in the fridge. Bash all the pieces of shell with the rolling pin to break them up a bit.
• Heat the oil in large frying pan over a high heat, add the onion and a large pinch of salt and cook for around five minutes until softened and well coloured, then add the lobster shell and fry for a couple of minutes more. Add the cayenne pepper and tomato purée and stir to coat everything, the turn the heat down to medium and add the milk. Stir well, then remove from the heat when it is just coming to a simmer and set aside for 30 mins to infuse. Meanwhile, mix the garlic, olive oil and lemon zest together with some seasoning to make the breadcrumb topping, then set aside. Strain the milk mixture into a jug and discard the shell.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Boil the macaroni in salted water until it has a slight bite (around two minutes less than on the packet instructions), drain and set aside. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat until foaming, then add the wine and cook for 5 minutes until the wine has reduced by half, then whisk in the flour to make a sandy paste. Turn down the heat and pour the strained milk into the pan a little at a time, whisking constantly and allowing each addition of milk to be fully absorbed before adding any more.
• Add the chopped lobster meat, mustard, crab and cheese. Stir well until the cheese has melted, then season to taste. Tip in the macaroni and stir to coat everything in the sauce. Tip into an ovenproof baking dish (or six small ones) and top with a sprinkling of grated cheese and the garlic breadcrumbs. Bake for 20 mins until golden and bubbling, then allow to cool a little before serving.

MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH LOBSTER AND SUMMER TRUFFLES

Steps:

• SAUCE: In a heavy bottom saucepan over low-medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots and lightly sweat. Add the flour, stirring in with a wooden spoon, lightly browning for 5 minutes. Add the scalded milk and stir constantly with a wire whisk. Add the mascarpone cheese and fava beans. Season with kosher salt and white pepper to taste. Remove from heat and reserve.
• CRUST: Mix the panko, Parmesan cheese and parsley in a stainless steel mixing bowl. Moisten with truffle oil. Season lightly with kosher salt and white pepper.
• In each of the cassoulet dishes, slice 1/2 of a lobster, arranging it in a circular pattern in the center of each dish. Reserve claws. Layer slices of summer truffles on top of the lobster. Add the macaroni to the sauce base, adjust the seasoning with salt and white pepper. Cover the lobster with the macaroni and sauce, dividing it evenly between the 4 dishes, filling up to the top. Place lobster claw in the center of each dish. Cover with the breadcrumb topping. Place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees until the top is golden brown and the cassoulet is hot all the way through (about 15 minutes). Serve with Louis Roderer L'Ermitage cuvee and enjoy!

BOILED MAINE LOBSTER

Steps:

• Boil the water in a large pot with a lid and add salt, parsley, bay leaves and peppercorns. Place the lobsters into the boiling water, making sure you leave the rubber bands on the claws (to avoid being pinched). Boil covered for about 15 minutes, then remove to a tray. (If using lobster tails only, the cooking time will be less. Boil until the meat is no longer translucent.)
• To shell the lobster, separate the tail from the body by lightly twisting. Remove the claws, and using a lobster cracker or nut cracker, extract the lobster meat and place on a serving platter.
• Put the melted butter in appropriately sized bowls for dipping the lobster pieces and enjoy!
• Note: You can keep the stock from the pot for when you need stock (for soups or other recipes) in the future. Strain, allow to cool, and freeze in labeled containers or plastic bags in 1/2 or 1 cup increments. I actually like to freeze them in ice cubes containers (each cube is about 1/8 of a cup) and then toss them into a labeled plastic bag. (Waste not, want not!)