| Ingredients | Yield: SERVES 4 |
|
Elbow Macaroni, Large - cooked al dente; follow dry pasta cooking procedures |
3 cups (cooked volume) |
|
Onion Cream Sauce - recipe follows |
4 cups |
|
Tarragon – fresh, picked leaves |
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. (approximately 25-35 leaves) |
|
Fontina Cheese – creamy style, shredded |
¾ cup |
|
Maine Lobster, 1 ½ - 1 ¾ lb size - blanched 4-5 minutes in boiling water, shelled, all meat removed, cut into 1" pieces, legs squeezed with a rolling pin |
2 each |
|
Crispy Cheese Topping Mix – recipe follows |
1 cup |
|
Delice d’ Bourgogne |
4 – 1 ½ oz. wt. slices |
|
Chervil – sprig |
4 each |
| Ingredients: crispy cheese topping mix | Yield: 1 cup |
|
Cheddar –medium, shredded |
5 Tbsp. |
|
Asiago – shredded |
5 Tbsp. |
|
Garlic Croutons – see recipe – grated fine on a box grater |
6 Tbsp. |
Crispy cheese topping mix procedures:
1. Mix together and hold refrigerated.
| Ingredients: onion cream sauce |
Yield: 1 quart |
|
Onion, white, sweet – minced, very fine |
½ cup |
|
Butter – whole, salted |
8 Tbsp. |
|
Heavy Whipping Cream – 36% butter fat |
1 quart |
|
Salt – kosher |
½ tsp. |
|
Pepper, White – ground |
1/8 tsp. |
Onion cream sauce cooking procedures:
1. Using a heavy-gauge sauce pot, melt the butter. Add the minced onion and simmer over low heat for 5-8 minutes, until the onion softens. * Don’t let it brown at all.
2. Add the cream. Let sauce simmer for 45 minutes, letting the cream reduce slowly by about 25%. Stir the sauce often to avoid scorching. Remove from the heat, add the salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce and cool in an ice bath, stir often to be sure to incorporate the butter into the sauce and avoid separation.
3. Refrigerate until needed.
Lobster macaroni cooking procedure:
1. Place the sauce in a sauté pan and bring to a boil, add the pre-cooked al dente pasta and bring to a boil, reduce sauce slightly by 10%, then add the Fontina. Mix into the sauce until completely incorporated. Sauce should be thick and creamy, completely coating the pasta. Add the Maine lobster and tarragon, let heat for 1 minute. Make sure the sauce isn’t over-reduced! If over-reduced add a little cream as it will continue to reduce when in the bowl.
2. Place the pasta in a large pasta bowl, top with the crispy cheese topping.
3. Place in the cheese melter or oven broiler, close to the heat. Let brown lightly but do not burn, cook until crisp. Remove and immediately garnish the top with the slice of Delice d’ Bourgogne and Chervil sprig and serve.
Recipe from "Passion & Palate, Recipes for a Generous Kitchen/February 2012