Lobster & Prawn Mac & Cheese

Sat, 28 March 2020

Lobster & Prawn Mac & Cheese

(serves 6-8 people)

             

ingredients:

For the Mac & Cheese:

400-500g Frozen Cooked Lobster (Defrosted and de-shelled, retain shells for poaching stock)

300g Frozen Cooked Tiger Prawns (Defrosted)

300g Frozen Cooked Shrimps  (Defrosted)

200g Monk Fish filleted & cut into small pieces

250g Macaroni pasta or penne pasta

2 block Fish Stock Cube

2 litres Water

2 small Leeks (white stalk and green leaves, washed and thinly sliced)

115g Butter

2 cloves Garlic (Finely Chopped)

100g Grated Vintage Mature White Cheddar Cheese

50g Grated Mozzarella

Butter (enough to butter your baking dish)

Black pepper freshly ground

             

For the Poaching Stock:

500ml Fish Bouillon water before you cook your pasta

1 stalk Celery (Finely Chopped)

1/4 cup Onion (Finely Chopped)

1/4 cup Carrot (Finely Chopped)

Lobster shells

Brine & liquor from defrosted cooked seafood

             

For the Veloute Fish Cheese Sauce:

300ml Brine & Fish Poaching stock (as above)

300ml Milk

300ml Cream

50g Flour

115g Butter

100g Grated Vintage Mature White Cheddar Cheese (for topping)

50g Grated Mozzarella (for topping)

             

Method:

1.Defrost the cooked shellfish in a colander in your fridge over night (the lobster will normally be purchase in a bag frozen in brine & can be defrosted easily in cold water unopened), retaining the brine and juices from the cooked shellfish which contains a lot of flavour. Do not rinse under water as this will wash all the flavour away.

2.  In a medium sized pot, melt 115g butter, add your garlic and cook for a minute, add your chopped leeks and sweat until soft, remove and set aside for now. (Retain the pot)

3.  In a large pot heat your water and fish stock cubes to a rolling boil. At this stage remove 500ml of fish stock and place into the pot you cooked your leeks in.

4.  Add your pasta to the large pot of fish stock and cook until just done and still firm to the bite; drain in a colander and cool on a flat tray, do not rinse under water! (Retain the pot)

5.  Preheat the oven to 180oC. Butter a large, medium depth oven-proof dish lightly.

6.  Add your celery, onion, carrot, lobster shells and reserved brine & juices to the medium pot with the fish stock. Simmer until reduced by a third or more, tasting to check the salt content.  It should be rich and full of flavour but not too salty!

7.  Strain the lobster brine stock through a sieve, pressing all the juices out through the sieve with a wooden spoon and dispose of the shells and solids.

8.  Return the stock to the same pot and return to the stove and heat to a rolling boil. Add this stage you can poach your monkfish for a minute or to just to cook it through.

9.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the fish and set aside.

10.  For the fish veloute, heat milk, cream & 300ml of the hot Brine & Fish Poaching stock to a simmer. In the same large pot you used for the pasta, melt 115g butter, then add the flour and combine together on a medium heat using a whisk. Pour in the cream & milk mixture, stirring all the time to form a "white sauce", reduce the heat  and cook out the flour for 5 minutes. Lastly add 100g cheddar and 50g mozzarella and melt into the sauce. Add a good grinding of fresh black pepper

11.  We are now ready to put the dish together. In a large mixing bowl, toss your seafood, pasta and leeks together. Add all the fish cheese sauce and combine.  Pour into your buttered oven dish. Top with remaining cheese and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. One hot and bubbling, turn the grill and brown the cheese.

Hint: Place a tray on the shelf below your dish to catch any spills that may occur during cooking.

12.  Serve with a fresh green salad, crusty bread and a crisp white wine.