Chef Johns Macaroni And Cheese Recipes

"INSTANT" MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring milk, salt, cayenne, mustard, nutmeg, and 1 tablespoon butter to a simmer in a pot over medium heat. Stir in macaroni. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until firm yet tender to the bite, about 8 minutes. Do not undercook.
• Meanwhile, melt remaining butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add bread crumbs and toast until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Stir cheeses into the cooked macaroni. Reduce heat to low and stir just until melted. Turn off heat, cover, and let sit for 3 minutes. Uncover, stir, and season to taste.
• Spoon mac and cheese into warm serving bowls; sprinkle toasted breadcrumbs on top.

CHEF JOHN'S LOBSTER MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter 2 gratin dishes.
• Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Cook lobster tails in skillet until slightly golden and about halfway cooked-through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer tails to a plate to rest. When cool enough to handle, remove lobster meat from shells and chop meat. Reserve shells.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour; cook and stir until a paste forms and flour taste cooks off, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cold milk to flour mixture; whisk until completely incorporated. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low, and stir in paprika, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Season sauce with salt.
• Stir Cheddar cheese and Gruyere cheese into milk mixture until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and stir Worcestershire sauce into cheese sauce.
• Bring a large pot of water with reserved lobster tails and a pinch of salt to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Remove and discard lobster shells, drain pasta.
• Stir macaroni into cheese sauce with thyme leaves. Divide macaroni mixture between the 2 prepared gratin dishes. Top macaroni with chopped lobster meat, poking meat down into macaroni mixture with a fork.
• Stir bread crumbs and melted butter together in a bowl. Add Parmesan cheese and stir. Top each gratin dish with bread crumb mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.