Mac and cheese was an obvious choice for a San Francisco supper club night, as was the decision to add another San Fran speciality, lobster. I have paired the dish with a contrasting chilled purple sprouting broccoli salad (use tender stem broccoli if you are out of season) and a blow-your-head-off homemade hot sauce, which had everyone coming back for more.
Lobster Mac and cheese
Serves 6
–
Hot sauce:
150g red chillies, trimmed, deseeded and chopped (I used half scotch bonnets
and half bird’s eye and wore plastic gloves to do it)
250ml white wine vinegar
sea salt
–
Purple sprouting broccoli salad:
300g purple sprouting broccoli, trimmed if needed
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
–
Mac and cheese:
360g macaroni
3 tbsp butter
6 tbsp cornflour
450ml milk
350ml Cheddar cheese, grated
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
240g cooked lobster, chopped OR 240g celeriac and 2 tbsp truffle oil
1 tbsp pink peppercorns
sea salt and black pepper
–
To make the hot sauce: In a saucepan, mix together the chillies, vinegar and ¼ tsp salt and bring to the boil. Simmer (open a window, as the aroma is intense!) for 15 mins. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree until very smooth. Transfer to sterilised bottles or jars (you’ll make around 500ml of hot sauce which will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge when opened).
Place the broccoli in a large saucepan and cover with boiling water. Simmer for 7 mins and then drain and cover with half of the lemon juice (this will make the broccoli turn bright purple). Refresh with cold water until cool. Place the broccoli on a serving plate, drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil and remaining lemon juice and sprinkle with lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper. Chill until needed.
Place the macaroni on a large saucepan and cover with boiling water. Simmer for 12 mins, then refresh in cold running water until the pasta is cool.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the cornflour. Cook the cornflour, whilst stirring, for 1 min, then slowly stir in the milk. Add 300g of the grated cheese and half the parsley. Stir in the cooked pasta and lobster or roasted celeriac and truffle oil.
Transfer the mixture to a large oven dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese, parsley and pink peppercorns. Bake for 25-30 mins, until firm. Serve with the purple sprouting broccoli and hot sauce.
–
