The Epicurious Wanderers!

Mac N Cheese, with a twist…

Ok, so I’ll admit it I’m not a huge crayfish/lobster fan.  While we’re at it just what is the difference anyway?  According to the Western Australian Museum there are several distinctions between the two then don’t forget the rock lobster.  This is the quick guide to telling them apart.

 

 

What did you catch? You come back from fishing and you don’t know if you have a rock lobster, a crayfish or a lobster in your basket. In the wild, two easy characteristics may help you to recognise them: the claws and type of water where the animal lives.

  • You caught it in salt water and it has no claws… It is a rock lobster
  • You caught it in salt water and it has claws… It is a lobster
  • You caught it in freshwater and it has claws… It is a crayfish.

So if you believe this then the crayfish that are sold all over Perth are more likely to be Rock Lobsters!  Confused yet, I am…

On to the recipe though, Helen loves Lobster and I love Mac’n’Cheese so why not combine the two.

Here we have our take on Lobster Mac’N’Cheese;

3 cups elbow macaroni
6 slices thick-cut bacon
2 cups cheese sauce, your favourite recipe
1/2 cup shredded/chopped blue cheese
1 1/4 cups milk (add as needed to get desired thickness)
500g cooked lobster tail meat, chopped
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted

extra:
diced chilli if desired…

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.

Place bacon in a heated cast iron pan and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on paper towels and dice.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.

Stir Cheddar cheese sauce ( I like to keep blue cheese separate so flavour is better), Blue cheese, and milk together in a bowl. Stir pasta, bacon, and lobster into soup mixture. (add chilli if you like a little heat…, we do)

Pour pasta mixture into a 2L shallow baking dish.

Mix bread crumbs and butter together in a separate bowl; sprinkle over pasta mixture, sprinkle with extra cheddar and blue cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling and bread crumbs are lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve with crusty bread and a good red.

Salutè

 

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