Lobster Comte mac and cheese

Comté & Lobster Mac & Cheese

Recipe by: Rosie French, photography by Melissa Reynolds James

Serves 2 plus leftovers for the next day

Ingredients

Serves 2 plus leftovers for the next day

  • 100g butter
  • 100g plain flour
  • 560ml lobster bisque (to make your own see ingredients and instructions below*)
  • 200ml milk
  • 1 cooked lobster
  • 150g Comté (older age), grated
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • Grated nutmeg
  • 400g macaroni
  • 100g breadcrumbs
  • Handful fresh tarragon
  • Handful chives

1. Pick the lobster meat from the shells and set aside. *If making your own bisque, put the lobster shells in a pan with a handful of Comté rinds, an onion cut in half, a carrot, a handful of peppercorns, 2 tbsp tomato puree, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 2 bay leaves, 1 tbsp salt and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for a few hours. Strain into a jug ready to use.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C
3. Make your roux by melting the butter in a large pan, stir in the flour to make a paste then whisk in the bisque, grated Comté (save some for the top) and milk until you have a thick, rich bechamel. Add the vinegar, soy, fish sauce, nutmeg and 400ml of water (it will look thin but this will all be absorbed by the macaroni).
4. Tip the dry macaroni into your baking dish and pour over the lobster bechamel. Stir through the lobster meat.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed and the macaroni is cooked.
6. Uncover, sprinkle over the cheesy, herby breadcrumbs and if you want to be playful, stick the lobster claws into the side of the dish like we did!
7. Bake for another 10 minutes until golden on top and serve with a lovely radicchio salad and extra herbs and Comté to sprinkle over the top.

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