Lobsters and Mac 'n Cheese

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You've got the lobsters or the scallops (maybe both), now here's an idea for what to do with them. From the August, 2012 issue of Florida Sportsman, Sportsman's Kitchen:

In the American south, at so-called “meat-and-three” restaurants, macaroni and cheese is considered a vegetable. I'm not talking about the stuff in the box that's the staple of many collegiate diets, but the savory cheesy mix that's often considered the proof of a good Southern cook.

Recently, Southern cooking has become popular worldwide and is often tampered with by chefs bearing credentials from the finest culinary institutions. I suspect it was one of those “innovators” who, following the gastronomic success of shrimp and grits, decided that plain old Southern fare deserved a boost (and a price increase). What followed was the inclusion of cold-water lobster meat into the recipe. Now I don't deny that this dish is good, but in my humble opinion the lobsters from “up East” just don't hold par with what we have here in Florida. Florida's “lobsters” are distant cousins of Homarus americanus, or American lobster, that's found in colder waters. Ours are Panulirus argus, Caribbean spiny lobsters—their lack of claws giving them a distinctly different appearance. Despite that “handicap,” they make up for the lack of claw meat with a rich, nutty flavor, usually from the tail meat. So, with that in mind, and with Florida's lobster season at hand, I offer my version. It's lobsters and mac n cheese.

For the rest of the story, and the recipe for Bugs 'n Cheese, check out the August, '12 issue of Florida Sportsman magazine, or subscribe.

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