Yields: 6 portions
Portion Size: ~2 Cups
Dose: 10 mg. per portion (60 mg. total) OR as needed
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
INGREDIENTS
Rotini Pasta – 3 cups
Cheddar Cheese, block – 12 oz.
Muenster Cheese, block – 4 oz.
Parmigiano Reggiano, grated – 1 cup
Sweet cream butter, salted – 6 Tbsp (3/4 bar)
Half & Half – 1 pint
Whole Milk – 1 Qt
FL Lobster tails, fresh & local, broiled – 1 pound of meat (roughly 3-4 tails)
Old Bay – 1/8 tsp.
Mustard powder – 1.5 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp, or to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep:
It’s crucial to have all ingredients prepped first. This recipe cooks quickly once starting, so it’s best you don’t have to scramble for ingredients.
- Start by shredding the cheddar and muenster cheeses
- Measure out pasta, Parmigiano cheese, spices, and infusing your butter. Keep separate.
- For the butter, place it in a warm spot to melt, and becomes easy to infuse
- If using a syringe, add 0.05 ml (Half of a line) OR roughly 1 rice grain-sized dots of concentrate (~50-60 mg. total). Stir to dissolve and disperses in the butter.
- Alternatively, you can add a full syringe in 1 full stick of butter and use only 1 Tbsp. (500 mg divided by 8 Tbsp in a stick = 62.5 mg/Tbsp).
- If using drops, add 60 ml of the concentrated tincture (1 full dropper + ½ dropper). Stir it to make sure it mixes and disperses fully.
- If using a syringe, add 0.05 ml (Half of a line) OR roughly 1 rice grain-sized dots of concentrate (~50-60 mg. total). Stir to dissolve and disperses in the butter.
Cook:
- Lobster:
- Preheat the oven on broil to 450°F.
- Using kitchen shears, butterfly the tail, cutting down the center on the bottom of the tail.
- Loosen the meat and pull the lobster meat upward.
- Salt and pepper the meat and set it on a baking sheet.
- Place the tails on a baking tray near the top of the oven to properly cook.
- Broiling times can vary depending on the size and length of the lobster tails. I recommend cooking them for 3-4 minutes and checking the internal temp with a thermometer until cooked. It should take 9-12 min. at most to cook.
- Once cooked, remove the tails from the oven and cool thoroughly before removing the meat from the shell.
- Break apart the meat with your hands before adding to the Mac & Cheese; I recommend keeping it chunky.
- Keep the oven on, you’ll need it soon!
The MAC
- Place the half & half and 1/2 qt. of the milk in a pot.
- Bring this mixture to a gentle simmer on the stove, then add in the pasta.
- Instead of using flour to thicken the sauce, you’ll be using the starches released by the pasta through the cooking process.
- Cook pasta in this simmering mix until achieving the desired consistency; STIR IT OFTEN, make sure you taste it!
- I prefer pasta al dente (best achieved by following the time printed on the pasta box), but if you prefer softer, cook it a bit longer.
- Turn off the stove, and begin to add the infused butter, spices, and cheeses.
- Make sure butter melts and mixes entirely before adding the cheeses)
- Fold in everything gently until the cheese melts and forms a sauce.
- TASTE THE SAUCE! If salt is needed, add ½ tsp. at a time.
- Gently fold in the lobster meat last, then transfer everything to a Pyrex or baking pan.
- Top pasta evenly with Parmigiano and place back in the oven to broil the cheese briefly.
- Remove once the cheese achieves a golden brown and bubbling.
- You did it! Great job on that mac & cheese, by the way. Enjoy your delicious creation.