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4 recipes you gotta try this weekend

Lobster Macaroni & Cheese
Prep/cook time: 45 mins
Serves: 2
Ingredients
1 whole lobster (700 grams)
200 gm dry macaroni pasta
5 gm Parmesan cheese
10 gm breadcrumbs
5 gm parsley
For the macaroni and cheese sauce:
5 gm butter
5 gm all-purpose flour
60 ml whole milk
100 ml cooking cream
50 gm Gruyère cheese
10 gm Parmesan cheese
Sprinkle of nutmeg powder
Sprinkle of mustard powder
Sprinkle of cayenne chilli powder
Salt to taste
2 twists of freshly crushed black pepper
Microgreens, for garnishing
Method
In boiling water, cook the lobster for 10 minutes.
To make the sauce: in a pan, melt the butter and add the flour. Mix together to form a roux. Add in the milk and the cream. Whisk continuously to avoid any lumps. Simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes. Once the sauce has been reduced, add in the mustard, nutmeg, and cayenne chilli powders. Stir until fully combined. Add in the Gruyère and Parmesan cheese to form a cheesy sauce. Set aside.
Remove the lobster and place in an ice bath. Allow to cool.
In a boiling pot, cook the pasta as per the packaging instructions.
After the lobster has cooled down, deshell it.
Reheat the sauce. Add in the blanched pasta and lobster meat. Season with salt and pepper and toss well to combine all the flavours.
Transfer into a serving dish. Sprinkle over with Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Gratinate the pasta in an oven at 180°C until golden.
Garnish with parsley and microgreens and serve immediately.


Spinach & Goat's Cheese Omelette
Prep/cook time: 15 mins
Makes: 1
Ingredients
½ cup baby spinach
6 egg whites
10 ml clarified butter
1 gm salt
28 gm goat's cheese
Method
Heat the butter in a skillet. Add ½ cup packed baby spinach to the pan and cook until wilted.
Beat egg whites and add to the pan, cook on both sides.
When done, slide the omelette halfway out of the pan and onto a warm plate.
Place the goat's cheese on one part of the omelette and fold the other half over on the plate, gently shaping it into a half-moon.
Season and serve with a petite salad.

White Cheddar Pancakes with Sautéed Apples
Prep/cook time: 30 mins
Makes: 20
Ingredients
For the sautéed apples:
2 tbsp clarified butter
6 large apples, peeled, cored, cut into ¼-inch-thick wedges
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cardamom, preferably freshly ground
Seeds from ½ vanilla bean, or
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
For the batter:
2 cups unbleached all-
purpose flour
1 tbsp superfine sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 ¾ cups whole milk
2 large eggs, separated
1 ½ cups packed shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1 tbsp clarified butter or vegetable oil, or as needed
Method
To prepare the apples: In a very large skillet, heat the clarified butter over medium heat. Add the apple slices and cook, stirring occasionally, until barely tender, 8-10 mins.
Gently stir in the brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and cardamom and cook until the apples are tender and syrupy, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the vanilla seeds. Keep warm over very low heat.
To make the pancakes: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, superfine sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the milk and egg yolks until smooth. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the milk mixture. Gently fold with the whisk until just combined. (Don't overbeat, or the pancakes will end up tough and gummy.)
In a clean large bowl, using a clean whisk, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold one-third of the whites into the batter to loosen it. With a silicone spatula, gently fold in the remaining whites in two batches until almost incorporated, with some white streaks remaining. Gently fold in the cheese until evenly distributed.
Heat a nonstick griddle or skillet over medium-low heat. Brush with clarified butter to lightly coat, and wipe off any excess with a clean paper towel. Using a 2-inch-diameter ice cream scoop, portion the batter onto the griddle, leaving an inch or so between the pancakes. Gently spread each into a 4-inch round with the back of the scoop and cook until tiny bubbles appear on the surface of the batter, about 2 minutes. Carefully turn the pancakes and cook until the other side is golden brown, about 2 more minutes. Serve immediately, or keep warm on a half-sheet pan lined with parchment paper in a preheated 200°F oven. Repeat with remaining batter.
Serve hot, with warm apples.

Cheesecake with Orange Marmalade Sauce
Prep/cook time: 1 hr
Makes: 10-12
Ingredients
Softened unsalted butter, for the pan
1 cup crushed shortbread cookies
1 kg cream cheese, softened
at room temperature for at least 2 hours
1 cup super fine sugar
1 cup heavy cream
5 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
2 ½ tsp unbleached all-purpose flour
Seeds from 1 plumped
vanilla bean
Grated zest of ¼ lemon
For the orange marmalade sauce:
1 cup orange marmalade
1/3 cup simple syrup
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Seeds from ½ plumped vanilla bean
Crystallised ginger, thinly sliced, for garnish, optional
Method
Position a rack in the centre of the oven and preheat to 300°F. Butter the inside of a 9-inch springform pan.
Sprinkle the crushed crumbs into the pan. Using the bottom of a drinking glass, press the crumbs firmly and evenly into the pan. Put the cream cheese in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer. On low speed, beat the cream cheese until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Increase the speed to medium and gradually add the sugar, then the cream. In five or six additions, add the beaten eggs, beating until they are absorbed into the batter before each addition.
Add the flour, vanilla seeds, and lemon zest and beat until completely smooth. Pour into the pan.
Place the cheesecake on a half-sheet pan and bake until the sides have risen slightly and are beginning to colour, and the centre of the cheesecake looks set, about 50 minutes.
Transfer the cheesecake to a wire rack and let cool completely in the pan.
Run a knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cheesecake. Remove the sides of the pan. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours.
To make the sauce, process the marmalade, syrup, lemon juice, and vanilla seeds in a food processor until smooth.
Slice the cake with a sharp knife (dipped in hot water and wiped dry before each cut).
Top each slice with the marmalade sauce and garnish with a sprinkle of crystallised ginger, if using.