An early memory is the luxury burger at mamma's along the E4 on the way to Arlanda, where you could order a hamburger with, among other things, Russian caviar. I don't know if it was ordered very often, probably not. Myself, I always just glanced at it, slightly shocked by its price. During my teenage years, my pocket was far too empty and the first time I would try real caviar it would definitely not be on a hamburger in a street kitchen. That much I had understood. Hopefully the pretentious burger satiated some, although I mostly think it was on the menu to create a snack ice cream.

Here I am, twenty-five years later, writing about a hamburger I've never tasted, from a place that, at least in its original form, no longer exists. By luxurious junk food, I don't just mean luxurious as in expensive, it can also be luxurious to the extent that it is well prepared. Another thing I like is when there is a clash between the ingredients. As in the dish we are going to cook today. The fresh smoked lobster paired with something as simple as macaroni and cheese is a real head-on collision in terms of ingredients, but the flavors certainly go hand in hand, which is why it's probably not the first time you've heard of Lobster Mac & Cheese. Not screwing up an already classic dish a bit would be completely unlike me.

For that reason, of course, I smoke the lobster. Not completely from scratch, it's still cooked in a store, but after about an hour in the smoke, it's got just the right amount of smoke flavor to take this dish even higher. At the last moment, I also put the bowl of macaroni and cheese in the smoke. The fatty cheese sauce, carefully flavored with light stock and milk, quickly absorbs the smoke aromas and takes on color.

Finally, smoked lobster and pasta are grilled with more cheese. Served with crispy bacon and some beautiful greens on top, it almost feels wrong to put the word junk food in your mouth anymore.

Turn the heads off the lobsters. Place on a smoking rack so that the liquids in the shells are retained during smoking as best as possible.

Smoke the lobsters at the top of the smoker with mild bisquettes for 1 hour at roughly 70°C.

Cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions. Salt only very lightly.

Drain the water and rinse with cool water so that the cooking stops without the pasta becoming ice cold.

Set aside and start with the cheese sauce. It is easiest to make the cheese sauce in a thermomixer.

Mix the liquids with sodium citrate until dissolved.

Set the temperature to 70°C, speed 3 and just feed the cheese down as it melts. (Without a thermomixer, considering the result, it works just as well in a regular saucepan with a hand mixer. However, remember not to raise the temperature too much.

Preferably use a water bath. Heat the liquids in a water bath until it reaches a maximum of 70°C . When the salt is dissolved, start adding cheese a little at a time. A tablespoon at a time is enough.

Work the cheese down with an immersion blender. Continue with more cheese as it melts.)

Mix two portions of pasta in a stainless steel pot or bowl.

Pour over the cheese sauce. Possibly, not all of the cheese sauce will be consumed. The pasta should absorb, but it should not drown.

During the last 10 minutes of the lobster smoke time, place the bowl of mixed macaroni and cheese into the smoker. (Try to match the mixture of pasta and cheese with the lobster's final stage in the smoke. You don't want the pasta to get too cold.)

Then take everything out of the smoke. Assemble the lobsters on top of two serving bowls filled with mac and cheese. Garnish (mainly the pasta) with grated cheese and then run to the highest temperature under the grill element in an oven. When the cheese is colored - take it out and garnish with optional accessories such as crispy bacon sprinkles, grated cheese and or chopped parsley.