Lobster award-winning recipe:"Lobster macaroni and cheese"

Recipe: Lobster macaroni and Cheese Rockland Style (serves 8-10 person)
 Rockland City Councilor Louise MacLellan-Ruf shared hers on Saturday at the Penobscot School at 28 Gay Street in Rockland. In 2013, she won first place in the amateur category during Lobsterpalooza’s Lobster Mac and Cheese contest with her dish, Lobster Mac and Cheese Rockland Style.

On March 29 she partnered with Nohora Estes, who teaches Spanish at the school, presenting a cooking lesson and Spanish lesson all in one morning.


The Lobsterpalooza contest was held last September at the State of Maine Cheese Company. MacLellan-Ruf said she won because she didn’t prepare mac and cheese with fresh lobster in it; rather, she served lobster with mac and cheese. The difference is subtle, but it worked.Continue

Ming Sawanjeang, Thailand; Linda Cummings, Owls Head; Sue Gerrett, Belfast; Louise MacLellan-Ruf, Rockland; Nohora Estes, Columbia; Beth Bowley, Rockland; Nick Ruf, Rockland and Mary Kaufman, Rockland. (Photos by Chris Wolf)

Recipe:
Preheat oven to 350-375 degrees
1 pound (or more) of picked, undercooked (10 minutes) lobster meat
Reserve liquid from lobsters and shells  
Cut half the meat into bite-sized pieces
Cut the other half into smaller pieces
1 pound box bowtie pasta cooked al dente
4 Tablespoons of all purpose flour
4 Tablespoons of melted butter
3 ½ cups whipping cream
2 teaspoons paprika
¼ cup sherry
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 cup grated mild cheddar cheese
3 Tablespoons cream cheese
Splash of Siracha sauce
Splash of Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
2 cloves roasted garlic
Place butter and flour in a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes
Add whipping cream and whisk over a low heat

Whisk in paprika and sherry
Simmer 3 to 4 minutes or until sauce thickens
When thickened add mascarpone, grated cheddar and cream cheese
Whisk between each ingredient until combined
Add Siracha, Worchester, garlic and maple syrup
Stir to combine
 
Remove 1/3 of sauce and place into a second sauce pan
Add the larger pieces of cut lobster to the second pan
Add the smaller pieces to the original pan
Fold in pasta
If the sauce needs to be thinned, add some milk or lobster broth
Add lobster to a buttered casserole dish
Add the second larger lobster sauce over the top
Sprinkle with bread crumbs and spread evenly
Bake 30 to 40 minutes
Allow to rest 10 minutes before serving
For a more intimate setting, place lobster mac in individual ramikins
Essence of lobster:
Save the water you cook the lobsters in
Reserve all liquid from the lobsters when picking cooked lobsters
Place all liquid and shells back in pot
Bring to a boil
Let cook till reduced
Note: You can cook the liquid all the way down and then freeze using pieces to flavor dishes in the future.
Bread crumb topping:
1 sleeve crushed crackers (Your favorite cracker will do)
¼ cup melted butter
Parsley
Zest of one small lemon
Combine butter and crackers.
Add zest and parsley
Mix thoroughly
Garnish with lobster fins for an added touch.
Sprinkle with a little parsley for color.