LOBSTER MAC 'N' CHEESE

I used to believe you could never make anything better than mac'n'cheese, I still stand by this!  But you can make mac'n'cheese differently bringing a whole new equal to the table, this is proved in the eaten with this mac'n'cheese with lobster.  My next mac'n'cheese cooking/eating excitement is going to be a pattie griddled crispy mac'n'cheese with a gooey cheesy soft middle mac'n'cheese burger, can not wait to cook this!!!

INGREDIENTS

(serves 4)

4 ptn macaroni pasta

50g butter

50g plain flour

1 ltr gold top creamy Jersey milk

1 onion

1 clove

1 bay leaf

400g-500g cheddar cheese

200g Parmesan

1 lobster tail steam cooked

100g panko breadcrumbs crushed

1 tbsp snipped chives

1 tsp butter

salt and white pepper

First bring the milk up to almost a simmer and take off the heat, take the onion and using the clove as a stud pin the bay leaf to the onion and pop into the milk, leave to infuse for half an hour.  Meanwhile make the roux by melting the butter and adding the flour, cook on a really low heat for five minutes,this is to cook out some of the flour flavour.  Increase the heat to a mild-medium and add a ladle of infused milk, remove the onion, stir in well, repeat this until all the milk has been incorporated.

On a gentle simmer keep the milk sauce cooking for twenty minutes stirring most of the time, next add all the cheddar and half of the Parmesan cheese and stir in until melted, season with salt and pepper and taste, you can add more seasoning, cheese or a different cheese if you like.  Leave to one side.  Next in a dry frying pan add a tsp of butter and gently toast the breadcrumbs, remove and place in a bowl cool for a few minutes then mix in the remaining Parmesan cheese, this is for the extra layer of crispy cheesy topping on the mac'n'cheese.

Next pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees, then put a large pan of seasoned water on to boil and cook your macaroni al-dente.  Pick the meat from the lobster tail and  break into bite size pieces.  Now we are ready to assemble the dish and bake  Take the cooked macaroni and add to the cheese sauce, mix well making sure you coat all of the pasta generously, then fold in the lobster tail meat, pour all of this into a baking dish and top with the Parmesan bread crumbs, bake for approx twenty minutes until your Parmesan crust has a lovely nutty brown cheesy crusty to it, sprinkle over the snipped chives enjoy... :-)