The Traveling Epicurean

Lobster Mac & Cheese at David & Eileen’s

Lobster Mac & Cheese at David & Eileen’s

With this homemade gourmet lobster mac & cheese at David & Eileen’s you get the best of both worlds! Two of my very favorite things to eat all in the same dish! What more could you ask for? What, did someone say “smoked Gouda, please”? The Lobster goes with out saying and for those of you who appreciate that slightly salty, yet sweet and rich in every meaty bite know what I’m talking about. Then to add this succulent lobster to pasta that’s covered in a delicate, smokey, cheesy sauce put’s it right over the top!

When my dear friends David and Eileen suggested making lobster mac & cheese for my cooking show it was like bells went off. I thought it was a great idea. David had discussed the idea with our other foodie friend, Marco, who offered up his recipe to David. Marco and his wife, Sheryl, own an Inn near by called Lathrop Manor where Marco cooks up a five course gourmet breakfast if you’re a guest there.  Marco was also the chef in my “Salmon BLT Sliders at Marco’s Show” from this past summer. Needless to say, our group here loves to cook, eat and have fun. Even frequenting the Farm and Vine Dinner’s at The Ocean House together. 

Sharing family recipes, like Dave and Laurie did with their yummy “Caruso Salad” and the amazing lobster mac & cheese recipe between Marco and David is what brings friends together. Cooking, eating, laughing and enjoying each other’s company is the foundation of life in all cultures around the world . I am grateful to have such wonderful family and friends to do this with.

I hope you enjoy this homemade “Lobster Mac & Cheese at David & Eileen’s” show as much as we did making it! Have fun with this recipe. You may also want to check out my Caesar Salad for a side dish or some Arancini Reuben Balls, stuffed mushrooms ,or baked asparagus wrapped in Prosciutto for an appetizer. Although , we don’t have David’s incredible chocolate meringue pie recipe yet, you could check out a chocolate pecan pie recipe that’s to die for.

DSCN4575 030 iphone pictures 1441 iphone pictures 572 wholepiepecan

ingredlob IMG_5287 IMG_5289

IMG_5291 thumbsauce IMG_5304

lobmac lastthumbolb IMG_5305

IMG_5309 IMG_5314 IMG_5317

baked IMG_5373

Ingredients for Lobster Mac & Cheese at David and Eileen’s:

  • 2 Lobsters – meat from 2 – 1 1/2 lb. steamed lobsters
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 2 small onion finely chopped (1/2 cup)
  • 3 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup Dry Sherry -OPTIONAL
  • 2 tsp lobster base OR Lobster SHELLS- OPTIONAL it gives a wonderful flavor to the dish… we did forget to add the base in the show and the lobster mac & cheese was still delicioso!
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 cups smoked Gouda
  • 1 1/2 cups white Cabot cheddar
  • 1 cup mozzarella (I added in the mozzarella)
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1 lb. cellentani pasta or elbow
  • s&p
  • 2 tbsp rm temp butter for coating the baking dish

Topping Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1/4 tsp garlic granules
  • 1/4 tsp onion granules
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp melted butter
  • 4 pieces cooked and chopped bacon – Bacon OPTIONAL  (DO NOT use Maple Flavored Bacon)

Directions for Lobster Mac & Cheese at David and Eileen’s:

  1. Per-Heat oven to 350º on CONVECTION (convection helps to toast the bread crumbs without overbaking and curdling the cheese sauce)
  2. Coat the baking dish with 2 tbsp rm temp butter and set aside
  3. Cook Pasta til firm in salted water, al-dente, 5 minutes
  4. Drain and rinse to cool pasta and set back in the same pan
  5. Melt butter in sauté pan
  6. Sauté the chopped onion until soft and translucent
  7. Add a s&p
  8. Add flour to onions to make a roux
  9. Continue on stove stirring mixture for 1 minute to cook out raw flour flavor
  10. Slowly add milk & cream to roux while continuing to whisk so as not to get lumps
  11. Add in bay leaves
  12. Cook over medium heat while stirring until sauce thickens
  13. Taste here to see if you need more salt and pepper
  14. Add in 1/4 cup Dry Sherry
  15. OPTIONAL:  Add in lobster base OR LOBSTER SHELLS and simmer for 10 minutes
  16. Remove the shells if you added them and discard
  17. Turn heat to low and add in smoked Gouda, cheddar & mozzarella while whisking for 30 seconds ONLY, then remove from heat immediately and continue to whisk until all the cheese is melted
  18. Sauce should have consistency of heavy cream
  19. Stir lobster meat into the sauce to infuse flavors
  20. Then pour lobster sauce over al-dente pasta and mix until combined
  21. Transfer to an oven safe baking dish
  22. Sprinkle in 1/4 cup Parmesan and mix gently
  23. Make the breadcrumbs by combining breadcrumbs, parmesan, onion and garlic granules, olive oil & butter and bacon
  24. Mix with your hands or a spoon and sprinkle evenly over the lobster mac & cheese
  25. Bake in a 350º oven for 25-30 minutes until slightly bubbly on the edges
  26. NOTE: DO NOT OVER BAKED OR CHEESE SAUCE WILL CURDLE!!!!
  27. NOTE: The pasta will absorb a lot of liquid in the beginning when you first mix it, AND then when you bake it, AND as it sits, AND then as it cools, so it’s a good thing to have a little extra sauce in the beginning …it will keep absorbing -you don’t want a dry lobster mac and cheese sauce 🙂

Homemade Ricotta

Homemade Ricotta

What an easy process it is to make homemade ricotta and it’s so worth it..just wait til you taste the fresh creaminess of those warm curds. It’s amazing how effortless this really is. All you do is bring whole milk and heavy cream to a boil, take it off the heat, add white vinegar and salt and watch the curds and whey separate into a luscious homemade ricotta. All the work is in waiting for the curds to form and the whey to completely drain through the cheese cloth. You’re likely to become a ricotta snob and never buy store bought ricotta ever again! Put a dollop of your homemade ricotta in the middle of a bowl of penne dressed with tomato sauce and voilà you are a culinary genius. If you are going to stuff pasta shells with this ricotta you should make my slow cooked pasta sauce 101, authentic Italian meatballs, pasta crepes from Mama Maria’s manicotti or lazy-man’s lasagna! Then you can end with a “BEST” blue berry pie ever recipe 🙂

iphone pictures 1937 018 iphone pictures 2025 IMG_5742 blupie

iphone pictures 2459 iphone pictures 2464 iphone pictures 2466

iphone pictures 2451 iphone pictures 2467 iphone pictures 2469

iphone pictures 2472 iphone pictures 2473 iphone pictures 2476

iphone pictures 2506 iphone pictures 2502 iphone pictures 2498

iphone pictures 2500

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 Tsp salt
  • 3 Tbsp white vinegar
  • Cheese cloth

Directions:

  1. Wet the cheese cloth and ring it out
  2. Set up a large bowl with a fine mesh strainer inside
  3. Drape the damp cheese cloth over touching the strainer as shown in the photo…making sure all of the ends of the cheese cloth hang over the edge of the strainer
  4. Add the 4 cups of milk and 2 cups of heavy cream to a large heavy bottom stainless steel pot like all-Clad
  5. Bring to a boil on medium/high heat stirring every few minutes
  6. This will take about 20 minutes
  7. As soon as it starts to boil take off the heat and add the vinegar
  8. Stir for 30 seconds
  9. Add the salt
  10. Stir for 30 seconds
  11. Let it sit in pan for 20 minutes
  12. Then pour cheese curds and whey into the cheese cloth and let sit for 1 1/2 hrs
  13. You will need to drain the liquid after the first 10 minutes and then again at the end
  14. Gather the ends of the cheese cloth, twist and squeeze the fresh ricotta gently to get the last of the excess liquid out as shown in the photo
  15. Use right away in pasta shells, lasagna, on toasts or put into a container and into the frig
  16. This will last in the frig for 4 days