Butter-Poached Lobster with Mac and Cheese

Lobster gently poached in a butter emulsion served over creamy orzo cooked like macaroni and cheese with mascarpone and Parmesan.

Ingredients

• 4 lobster tails (about 5 oz each), in the shell
• For the beurre monte: 2 Tbsp water plus 1 lb (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

For the orzo: 1 1/2 cups orzo pasta

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced shallot
• 1/2 cup mascarpone
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp minced chives
• Kosher salt, white pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg
• Mascarpone-Parmesan crisp or pea shoots, to garnish

Directions

1. Blanch the lobster tails in boiling water for 2 minutes to loosen the shells, then plunge into ice water. Remove the meat from the shells, keeping it whole.
2. Make the beurre monte: bring the water to a simmer and whisk in the butter piece by piece to form a smooth emulsion; keep it warm at about 160 to 180 F (do not boil).
3. Submerge the lobster meat in the warm beurre monte and poach gently 5 to 6 minutes until just cooked through and tender.
4. Cook the orzo in salted boiling water until just tender, then drain.
5. Sweat the shallot in olive oil, add the cream, then stir in the cooked orzo, mascarpone, and Parmesan until creamy. Season with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg, and fold in the chives.
6. Spoon the creamy orzo into warm bowls. Slice or set a poached lobster tail on top and spoon over a little beurre monte.
7. Garnish and serve immediately.

Notes

Adapted from Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry Cookbook; the butter-poaching (beurre monte) technique is a Keller hallmark.