Ingredients

The following ingredients have 6 Servings
  • 1 whole about 800g cooked lobster, see notes below
  • 700ml whole milk
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 35g unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 100g parmesan, finely grated
  • 100g gruyère, grated
  • 300g amori or other small tubular pasta
  • a small bunch chives, finely chopped
  • 50g breadcrumbs
  • 50g parmesan, finely grated
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper

Instruction

  • Break off the claws from the lobster, and gently tap them with a rolling pin to break the shell and wriggle out the meat. Cut into large pieces. Cut the body in half lengthways, remove the shell and roughly chop the meat – you want to keep it chunky.
  • Put the lobster shells into a pan with the milk, bay leaf and peppercorns, and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and strain.
  • In a separate pan, melt the butter and add the flour. Cook, stirring regularly, until it turns a nutty brown colour. Slowly add the infused milk to the pan, in small additions, stirring well in between until you have a smooth sauce. Stir in the cheeses and cook gently for a few minutes until completely melted.
  • Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and stir this through the cheese sauce, season and add the chives and chopped lobster meat. Tip into a large baking or gratin dish.
  • Heat the grill to medium-high. Mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan and cayenne in a bowl, sprinkle evenly over the pasta and grill for 5 minutes until golden brown (keep a careful eye on it so it doesn’t catch or burn).