The coronavirus pandemic lockdown has seen a rise in home cooking, with many people learning new culinary skills and rekindling their love affair with their kitchens.
Malton, Yorkshire’s food capital, has released two exclusive recipes penned by chefs and producers who call the town home. Malton produces some of Yorkshire’s finest food and drink from a range of independent businesses, delis and restaurants. Now, readers can recreate their own slice of Malton from the comfort of their own homes. Both of the recipes are inspired by the town.
This week, we’ve got detailed instructions on how to recreate Gilly Robinson’s Lobster Mac ’n’ Cheese. Robinson, from The Cook’s Place, uses local Yorkshire ingredients to produce this delicious dish.
Lobster Mac ‘n’ Cheese by The Cook’s Place
Ingredients:
Cooked lobster (1 large for 4 people, 1 medium for 2 people) from the Whitby Lobster Hatchery
400g tortellini pasta by The Yorkshire Pasta company
2 tbsp rapeseed oil from Wharfe Valley Oils
150g butter (The Cook’s Place makes its own with leftover St Quintin’s Creamery double cream)
2 thin leeks, cleaned and finely sliced (from local veg shop Paley’s Malton)
2 garlic cloves (from Paley’s Malton)
3 tbsp plain flour (from Bradshaw’s of Driffield)
600g full fat milk (from St Quinn’s Creamery)
350g grated cheddar cheese (from The Yorkshire Creamery)
2 tbsp chilli sauce (Mak Tok Signature Chilli in Sheffield)
1 handful chopped dill
1 handful chopped chives
Method:
- Dissect the lobster and take all the meat from the body, claws and legs. Chop all but the claw meat and keep chilled until needed.
- Cut the claw meat in half lengthways, remove the cartilage and keep for garnish.
- Fill a large pan with cold water and bring to the boil, add the tortellini pasta and cook for 5-6 mins. Drain the pasta and return to the pan.
- Stir through the rapeseed oil to season the tortellini and avoid it sticking together.
- Melt the butter in a medium pan and add the leeks and garlic, cook on low heat until it softens.
- Stir in the flour to the pan and cook for at least two mins.
- Add the milk and stir. It will be very liquid at this point but stirring over medium heat until it boils will create the perfect sauce.
- Add the cheese and stir until melted, and then add the chilli sauce.
- Stir in the pasta and then the chopped lobster.
- Season to taste.
To serve, divide between four bowls, arrange the pieces of claw meat and dig in.
