French Onion Recipe

If using live lobsters: bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Add lobsters and cook 7–9 minutes for 1–1.25 lb each until shell is bright red. Remove and plunge into an ice bath to stop cooking. If using cooked lobster meat, skip to step 3.

When cool enough to handle, remove meat from tails and claws, discard shells (or reserve for stock). Roughly chop lobster meat into 1/2–3/4 inch pieces. Toss gently with 2 tbs melted butter, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1 tbs lemon juice. Set aside refrigerated until assembly.

Heat a wide heavy-bottomed skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add 3 tbs butter and 1 tbs olive oil until shimmering.

Add the thinly sliced onions, 1 tsp sea salt and 1/2 tsp sugar. Stir to coat, spread evenly in the pan and cook, stirring every 4–6 minutes, until deeply golden and caramelized, about 30–40 minutes. Reduce heat slightly if browning too quickly; patience is key.

Add the thyme sprigs and bay leaf, stir, increase heat to medium-high and deglaze with 1/2 cup dry white wine, scraping up brown bits. Let the wine reduce almost completely, about 2–3 minutes.

Pour in 2 cups low-sodium broth, bring to a simmer and simmer gently 5 minutes to meld flavors. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or a pinch of sugar if needed.

Using a slotted spoon, remove about 1 1/2–2 cups of the caramelized onions to fold into the pasta and béchamel later; reserve remaining onions for serving and topping as desired.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tbs salt. Add 12 oz cavatappi and cook until very al dente (about 2 minutes less than package instructions). Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta and set aside.

Transfer the hot drained pasta to the pan with 1 1/2–2 cups of the reserved caramelized onions (from the previous section) and gently toss to coat. Keep warm while you make the béchamel.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 tbs butter. Whisk in 1/2 cup all-purpose flour to form a smooth roux and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring, to remove raw flour taste without browning too much.

Slowly whisk in 2 cups whole milk and 1/2 cup half-and-half in a steady stream to avoid lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 6–8 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and stir in 2 cups grated smoked gouda and 1/2 cup grated gruyère (if using) in small handfuls until melted and smooth. Add 1 tsp Dijon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. If sauce seems too thick, whisk in up to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water a little at a time to reach a creamy consistency that will coat the pasta.

Fold the cheese béchamel into the cavatappi and caramelized onions in the pan until evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Gently fold in the chopped lobster meat (cooled) so the pieces stay intact—reserve a few nicer claw pieces for garnish. Keep mixture warm.

Preheat the oven broiler. Transfer the lobster-cavatappi mixture into an ovenproof gratin dish or individual ramekins. Make sure there is a shallow layer of the mixture so the topping browns nicely.

Dot the top with 1 tbs melted butter, sprinkle the 1/4 cup grated parmesan (optional) and an additional tablespoon of grated smoked gouda if desired.

Broil 2–4 minutes, watching carefully, until the top is bubbling and lightly browned. Remove from oven.

Garnish with chopped chives and fresh thyme leaves and place reserved lobster claw pieces on top. Serve immediately.