Lobster Macaroni & Cheese

Fancy or Basic Mac and Cheese?

The beauty of this recipe is that it's easy to dress up with the zest of lemon, a dash of cayenne, or a vinegar-based hot sauce.  After adding these ingredients, taste the cheese.  Is it too acidic? Consider adding a quarter tsp of sugar to balance it out.  But, a little acidity may be what you're looking for, with the addition of Maine lobster. This classic twist on mac & cheese is sure to please everyone.  Ingredients: 1 pound of elbow macaroni 2-3 cups of milk 1.5 pounds of sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder Pepper to taste 3/4 cup of panko crumbs 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese Butter Instructions: Preheat the oven to 375 Fahrenheit Cook one lobster, and cut the meat into bite-size chunks. Reserve lobster juices. Set aside in a refrigerator. Cook the macaroni to almost al dente (almost fully cooked). Then put the finished macaroni into a bowl and coat it with two to three tablespoons of butter.  Coat a 9x13-inch glass casserole dish or a baking pan with butter. Make a roux by mixing three tablespoons of butter with three tablespoons of flour. First heat the butter then gradually stir in the flour until it makes a thick sauce. Use a whisk if you have one, otherwise, a spoon is fine. Then slowly add three cups of milk, stirring to blend it in. Once all milk is in, bring to a low simmer and start adding in the cheddar cheese and the lobster meat including any juice. Once the sauce is finished stir in the mustard powder, then add salt and pepper to taste. Go easy on the pepper, it's a thin line between just right and too much. Add the finished cheese sauce to the macaroni and stir and fold to coat the pasta. Add pasta with cheese to the casserole dish. Melt two tablespoons of butter and coat panko, then sprinkle onto the top of the elbow macaroni. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Remove the lobster mac and cheese from the oven and lightly sprinkle Parmesan cheese across the top to give it an extra kick of flavor. The Parmesan will melt into the panko, but the flavor will remain.

Wine Pairing

There are directions to go when wine pairing. My favorites for mac and cheese are white wines like cabernet sauvignon or a sweet riesling. Riesling is a German wine and an off-dry riesling pairs well with hearty comfort food like lobster mac and cheese. Other wines to consider are an unoaked chardonnay and a pinot grigio.  Vinho verde is another great summertime wine that is affordable and pairs well with lobster mac and cheese. Vinho verde is a Portuguese wine that can be slightly fizzy and bright with enough acidity to cut through and pair well with the cheese sauce.