Seafood Mac and Cheese
Spend a little and try this seafood mac and cheese recipe out! Throw that KD in the garbage!
Why I called this seafood and not lobster? It’s because you can also use Shrimp, Scallops, King Crab each on their own or in combination.
The video guys that show how to make this dish make it sound easy, simple and fast to make. NO! This does take planning and time to make.
First you have to make a Béchamel “mother sauce”. Then you can get to the assembly stage.
Seafood Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Béchamel Sauce
- 1 cups warm milk Warm milk and set aside.
- 1 Clove
- Bayleaf
- Salt
- White Pepper
- pinch Grated Nutmeg
- 1/4 Chopped White Onion
- 4 tbsp Clairified Butter Optional: Unsalted Butter
- 4 tbsp All purpose flour
Mac and Cheese
- 4 large Finely Chopped Shallots
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 2 oz Brandy Optional
- 1 whole Canadian Lobster or Any Seafood Chop into bite size pieces
- 3 drops Worcestershire or Liquid Smoke Optional
- 1/2 cup Cream
- 1/2 fist Chopped Parsley
- 1/2 fist Chopped Chives
- 3/4 cup Béchamel Sauce
- 1/2 cup Gruyère cheese
- 1/2 cup White Chedder
- pinch Salt and White Pepper
- 1 Box Shell Macaroni
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Panko
Instructions
Béchamel
- Melt butter in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Do not let it brown.
- Stir in the flour quickly into the butter with a wooden spoon. Cook the roux for about 5-6 minutes or cook till a golden colour. Do not let brown. Sometimes I'll add a little more flour to get a medium pasate. I add this as I go along.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of warm milk and stir in to get it started. Then add remaining milk and whisk vigorously until smooth or a Nappé consistency to coat your spoon. Keep doing this till it starts to bubble and thickened. DO NOT put in cold milk. Put on the lowest setting on the stove.
- Add in Onion, Bay leaf and Clove and simmer for about 30 min. Put Pot only on half the burner. Stir occasionally and turn your pot around.
- Strain liquid then add a pinch of fresh nutmeg. Pinch of salt and white pepper. Stir in and mix. Don't over season since this is just a base sauce.
- Once you're happy with the result. Let cool and put in a container and put in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reuse just warm a little milk in a pan and warm up to prevent burning then add the Béchamel to bring back to life.
Putting it together
- In a medium-high pan add in a large knob of butter and add the shallots. Sauté to just golden never browned.
- Add Brandy and burn off.
- Add Seafood stir and coat.
- Add cream and stir in.
- Add the herbs and stir.
- Add the Béchamel sauce and stir.
- Add in Cheese and stir until melted.
- Add a pinch of salt and white pepper.
- Add to a baking dish, sprinkle your grated Parmesan cheese and top with some Panko breadcrumbs.
- Add to oven for 350F for about 20-30 min or until the top looks crispy golden.
Master Brad...ya, that flying dog held me captive forever, in the end the eggs never hatched. Grrrr
I had totally forgotten about this, my Portuguese dogs are still in therapy.
Try is with a couple of sprigs of tarragon while you're making the sauce, not too much just enough to…
Looks good
Good catch...I forgot to add the good stuff. Butter. :)