Lobster Macaroni and Cheese: Decadence Defined

If you know me well, you will probably be astonished to even see this recipe on my blog. It is just so completely the opposite of how I normally eat or prepare food, that you may question my motives and/or my sanity. But rest assured - my healthy eating habits haven't given up the ghost, but sometimes you just have to give in to the temptation of something so completely decadent that you're willing to pay the price (lots of extra time at the gym!). I fell in love with the concept of lobster mac-n-cheese at a wine industry event Randall and I attended some years ago in Lake Tahoe. One of the chefs at the event had prepared his version of this dish - I was hooked at the first bite. So, I came home and recreated it, and dust it off every now again when the occasion dictates.

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

• 3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni pasta
  
• 12 ounces lobster tail pieces, fully cooked
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups milk, room temperature
• 4+ cups white cheese, shredded (For this recipe, I like to use a combination of white cheeses. I use 1 heaping cup each of New Zealand sharp white cheddar, French Comte, a Swiss Emmental from France, and a Swiss Gruyere. I like the combination of sharpness/nuttiness/creaminess of the various cheeses, but if you just want to pick one white cheese and stick with it, that would work ok too. I'd recommend a gruyere.)
• 1/4 cup white truffle oil (optional - but why the hell not?)
• 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the macaroni according to package directions; drain. Start the cheese sauce by making a roux: Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat. When melted and foamy, add the flour and whisk together to form a paste. Add 1 cup of milk; continue to whisk until mixture is blended and creamy. Start adding the cheese 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly. As the cheese melts, continue to add remaining milk and cheese in 1-cup increments. If the cheese sauce seems too thick for your liking, you can add in more milk as desired - just use small increments and keep stirring. Add the white truffle oil once all the cheese and milk have been incorporated. Once the cheese sauce is fully melted and blended, add the pasta and the lobster; stir well to coat. Pour mixture into a casserole dish (or in individually-sized ramekins - a great way to manage portion size... as if it matters!). Top with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 400-degree oven until topping is browned and the mac-and-cheese is bubbling, approximately 30 minutes.