By: Chef Barton Seaver via @LobsterFromMaine
Ingredients
- 4 Maine lobsters, New Shell if possible
- 1 pound macaroni
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon ground mace
- 1-2 cups milk
- Salt
- 8 ounces sharp white Cheddar, shredded
- Fresh herbs: fennel fronds, chopped tarragon, chopped parsley
Directions
In a large pot bring 3 cups water to a boil. Place lobsters in head first and tightly cover pot. Cook for 7-9 minutes. Remove lobsters and reserve cooking liquid. Once the lobsters are cool remove the meat, reserve 4 claws, chop the rest of the meat and reserve. Be sure to cleaning lobsters over a bowl to reserve any juices.
Add enough water to the pot to cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain pasta and reserve 1 cup cooking water.
Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to foam. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly until smooth and a light roux forms, about 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook the roux, stirring regularly, until it is a deep caramel color. Stir in the mace and cook until lightly toasted, about 30 seconds. Add the milk and 1 cup of the reserved lobster juices or cooking water, whisking constantly to incorporate and to break up any lumps. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the shredded cheddar, stirring to combine.
Pour 2/3 of the cheese sauce over the cooked macaroni and stir until evenly coated. Spread the mac and cheese into a serving dish, or directly onto plates. Garnish with herbs and reserved claws.