Lobster Mac & Cheese. I remember being completely fascinated the first time I saw Gordon Ramsay deshell a whole lobster down to its legs. Every time I think about lobster, I go right back to that moment of awe. This dish was inspired by that memory, so thank you Gordon. To start, I quickly put the live lobster out, then dropped it into boiling water for a few minutes before shocking it in an ice bath to stop the cooking. I separated each part and carefully deshelled them, trying to keep every piece whole. For the mac and cheese, I began by making a lobster broth. I sautéed the shells with shallots, garlic, thyme, and a bit of tomato paste, then poured in chicken stock and let it simmer for 30 to 45 minutes until it turned into a rich, fragrant lobster broth. Once strained, I made lobster butter using a few spoonfuls of the broth whisked with butter, shichimi togarashi for a spicy kick, and a squeeze of lemon. I set that aside for later. I used the remaining broth as a base for the cheese sauce, mixing heavy cream, half and half, and black pepper. I grated cheddar, parmesan, and fontina and stirred until melted. Normally I would blend the sauce for a silky finish, but I skipped that this time. Big mistake, don’t skip that step. I folded in al dente cavatappi, keeping it a little on the saucy side since it thickens up after baking. Into a dish it went, topped with more parmesan, then under the broiler until golden brown.   Finally, I assembled the lobster on top, brushed it with the lobster butter, then put the head shell to give it that wow factor. It tasted incredible and looked unreal, but I found a few things I’d improve. The lobster flavor didn’t shine as much as I wanted. Next time I’d throw in prawn heads for a deeper broth, use more stock and less milk, swap out the cheddar for a milder cheese, blend the sauce until smooth, and finish with browned panko crumbs. I actually added the panko crumbs after filming and it instantly leveled it up. With those tweaks, this would be perfect. - @meat.hanger