lobster mac 'n' cheese

[bscepter]

i just bought a couple of lobster tails at costco (not live, i know, i know...) and would like to incorporate lobster meat in my normal macaroni and cheese recipe (rigatoni, béchamel, nutmeg, cheddar, pecorino, breadcrumbs, gruyere, bake 'til golden brown).

my question is, since the pasta will bake for 30 mins at 375 degrees, i assume i don't want to fully cook the lobster prior to adding it to the béchamel sauce. what do you guys think... steam for 3 mins? not cook at all and let it cook in the oven?

also, do you think it would be a good idea to put the shells in the milk while it's scalding for the béchamel? do you think that would give me some extra lobster flavor?

thanks for any input.

 

[chefedb]

Yes for extra flavor steep the shells in the milk. I would  lightly saute the defrosted pulled lobster out of shell and add to the dish then put in oven.  The pasta itself should act as an insulator to the  meat avoiding overcooking. I used to sell a lot of this at 26.50 an order about 2 years ago. Now I do it with Lump Crab using gruyer and assiago and  a brunoise of tri colored peppers and shrooms. 

 

[bscepter]

Yes for extra flavor steep the shells in the milk. I would  lightly saute the defrosted pulled lobster out of shell and add to the dish then put in oven.  The pasta itself should act as an insulator to the  meat avoiding overcooking. I used to sell a lot of this at 26.50 an order about 2 years ago. Now I do it with Lump Crab using gruyer and assiago and  a brunoise of tri colored peppers and shrooms. 

awesome. i suspected as much. thanks for the advice! one more thing - what do you think of the nutmeg? to me, nutmeg and gruyere go hand in hand. but i'm not sure how it'll pair with the sweetness of the lobster. what about a bit of cayenne instead to heat it up?

 

[chefedb]

Your going the right route . Most Bechamels do have a touch of nutmeg and cayenne is ok.

In fact if you make a Newburg, cayenne and nutmeg are called for as well as sherry.

 

[chrisbelgium]

I would make a simple lobster pasta. Tagliatelle or papardelle, or any you like.

Sweat a shopped shallot in butter, add lobster shells and break them while cooking with a wooden pinroll. Add half a teaspoon of tomatopuree and let cook to get rid of the sourness. Add some dry white wine or very dry vermouth and the same quantity of chickenstock and let simmer for no longer than 20 minutes. Sieve. Put the liquid on the stove again, reduce and add some cream (about the same quantity as the remaining liquid). Let reduce until almost the right consistency. Add lobster in bitesize chunks and poach just under cooking temperature for no longer than a few minutes. Add a little chopped tarragon, taste for P&S. Enjoy over cooked pasta.

 

[bscepter]

so, i followed Ed's advice, and it turned out pretty great. the frozen costco tails were obviously not as nice and sweet as fresh, but in the dish, they were just fine. the whole thing went over very well. next time, though, i may steam them in their shells to try to get a bit more flavor into the meat. before incorporating it into the sauce. 

the nutmeg was great, too. and the cayenne complemented it well. i used pecorino this time instead of gruyere, which was nice - though i still love gruyere. either way - i'm making it again!