lobster mac n' cheese... living it up in maine :)

welcome everyone to the debut of my blog "Before Dessert"... i hope it's something you will enjoy as much as i do... so... let me just get down to it... i figured i would kick this blog off with a totally amazing dish... something that is both the epitome of simple comfort food but also a bit on the decadent side... lobster macaroni and cheese...

a few weeks ago, the hubby, boys and i took a trip up to freeport, maine... what an amazing little port town full of quaint shops and restaurants... and while we were there we ate at an awesome restaurant/ brew pub called "gritty mcduff's"... we enjoyed some of their homemade brews, and some amazing pub fare... the hubs had some amazingly flaky fish and chips, and i ordered the lobster mac n' cheese in a white cheddar cheese sauce topped with slices of fried jalapenos... it was... indescribable... just so so good... so good in fact that me and the hubs have been talking about it ever since...

so... finally, we addressed our craving... and man... i'm so glad we finally did... luckily for us, we live in a place where lobster is everywhere... and even luckier for me i found a "lobster pound" where they sold fresh lobster meat... and i'm not talking about just little tiny broken up pieces... it was all huge meaty claws and chunks of tails...

so here it is... please pull up your chair and enjoy :)
martha stewarts mac n'cheese recipe:
ingredients:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole/dish
6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to l/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for water
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese
2 cups grated gruyère (or you can use 1 1/4 cups grated pecorino romano cheese)
1 pound macaroni of your choice (i used cavatoppi)
1 pound fresh lobster meat quickly sauteed in garlic and butter (yumm... this is defiantly one of the benefits living in maine, lots and lots of lobster)

directions:
1. preheat oven to 375, butter a 3-quart casserole dish and set aside... place the bread in a medium bowl
2. in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter, then pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread, and toss... set the breadcrumbs aside
3. warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat... when the butter bubbles, add the flour... cook, stirring for 1 minute
4. while whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth... continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes
5. remove the pan from the heat, stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups gruyère, set the cheese sauce aside.
6. cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil... cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes
7. transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well... stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce
8. add in the sauteed lobster meat (with all the bits of garlic and melted butter too), and stir to evenly distribute it among the cheesy goodness
9. pour the mixture into the prepared dish... sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup gruyère and the
10. bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes, transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes... serve and enjoy

how amazing does that look... it was delicious... i felt like a total glutton going back for seconds... and well, thirds...
happy eating everyone :)

“the only real stumbling block is fear of failure... in cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude" - julia child