Lobster Macaroni and Cheese - won't someone make this for me? I want to watch.

A recipe for lobster macaroni and cheese. I am typing it out for your pleasure out of the December 2005 issue of Bon Appétit, because I scoured the Web and could not find it. I will probably never make this dish, but it makes for delicious reading.

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

6 to 8 first-course servings
...because after going to all this trouble, it had better be tasted by more than just two people

2 live lobsters, 1 3/4 to 2-lb. each

9 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup chopped onion
1 bay leaf

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup coarsely grated Gruyère
1 cup coarsely grated aged white cheddar
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco)

12 ounces orecchiette or medium shells
6 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Cook 1 lobster in large pot of boiling salted water until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Using tongs, transfer to large bowl. Repeat with second lobster. Reserve boiling liquid.

Working over bowl, twist off tails and claws from lobster bodies, reserving bodies and juices in the bowl. Crack claws; remove meat. Split tails; remove meat. Transfer meat to bowl and chill. (Or at least have a glass of wine.) Rinse lobster bodies. Break all shells into 3-inch pieces, cutting bodies with kitchen shears. Reserve shells in bowl with any juices.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in another large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and bay leaf. Saute until onion softens, about 3 minutes. Add reserved lobster shells and any juices. Stir 2 minutes. Add 4 cups reserved lobster boiling liquid. Boil 18 minutes. (18 seems awfully specific. But okay.) Strain lobster broth into medium saucepan; discard shells. If necessary, boil lobster broth until reduced to 2 cups.

Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in the same pot over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour. Stir 2 minutes. Whisk in lobster broth, then mustard and cloves. (Ahhh, this is the sauce we are making. And it's going to taste extra-lobstery) Whisk in cream and half-and-half; bring to boil, whisking constantly. Add Gruyère, cheddar, and hot pepper sauce. Whisk until sauce is smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (Sauce and lobster can be made 3 hours ahead. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of sauce; chill. Keep lobster meat chilled. Rewarm sauce before continuing.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter 10- to 12-cup casserole dish. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Place pasta in large bowl. Add sauce and stir to coat. Cut lobster meat into 1-inch pieces. Stir lobster meat and chives into pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta mixture to prepared dish.

Melt remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add panko; sauté until golden, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle crumbs over pasta.

And at last...

Bake until bubbling and heated through in center, about 25 minutes*.

* One last interjection: 25 minutes at 425 degrees seems a bit long. What a shame it would be to end up with rubbery lobster. As with all cooking, keep an eye on it and use common sense!