Post by bean on Mar 5, 2007 13:42:20 GMT -5
The Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese
(From “Kitchen Sense” by Mitchell Davis)
There’s not much else to say. I’ve concocted many recipes for this artery-clogging classic and this one is, in my humble opinion, by far the best. The idea to use cream cheese came from a conversation with my friend Emily, and it’s an idea for which I will be eternally grateful. The cream cheese adds a rich, cheesy background flavor that holds the whole thing together. On the occasions that I’m afraid there aren’t enough calories from fat in a meal, I serve the macaroni and cheese with fried onions or crumbled bacon or both.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons unseasoned bread crumbs, divided
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, or other strongly flavored imported grating cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 pound curly pasta, such as elbow macaroni, cavatappi, fusilli, or similar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard or 1/2 teaspoon dry, powdered mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Pinch cayenne pepper
Pinch freshly ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
8 ounces extra-aged gouda, wax removed, or aged Swiss Emmanthaller, shredded (2 cups)
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Using 1 tablespoon of the butter, grease a 2-quart baking dish. Place 2 tablespoons of the bread crumbs in the buttered dish and shake it around to evenly coat. Leave any excess bread crumbs in the bottom of the baking dish. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs with 2 tablespoons of the Parmigiano or other grating cheese, and set aside.
In a very large pot, cook the pasta in a generous amount (about 5 quarts) of boiling salted water until al dente, not more, about 8 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat 3 tablespoons of the butter. When the butter is melted, add the flour and stir, with a wooden spoon, to make a paste (this is called a roux). Cook the roux a minute or two, stirring often, until it has very lightly browned and you can smell toasted flour. Switch to a whisk. Pour in the milk and continue whisking until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, about 4 minutes. Turn down the heat to low. Whisk in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, white pepper, and salt. Add the cream cheese and stir until thoroughly melted.
Place the pasta back in the pot it was cooked in. Add the Cheddar, Gouda, and the remaining Parmigiano. Pour the hot cream sauce on top. Stir the mixture until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is well combined with the noodles. (If you are in a hurry to eat, you can actually serve the macaroni and cheese at this point; but I prefer it baked.) Transfer this mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the bread crumb and Parmigiano mixture evenly over the top. Dot with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Bake in the preheated oven about 40 minutes, until the top is nicely browned, the bread crumbs are toasted, and the sauce is bubbling.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Advance Prep
The macaroni and cheese can be made in advance. Before topping with the bread crumb mixture, cool the mac’n’cheese to room temperature in the baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a day or two. Proceed with the recipe, adding an additional 10 minutes or so to the baking time. You can also freeze the macaroni and cheese for up to a month. Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
Leftovers
The macaroni and cheese will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for up to two months. Defrost before reheating. Reheat leftovers in the microwave for a minute or two on high, or in a 300°F oven for 20 minutes or so, or until heated through.
Although it seems like it should be illegal, in a restaurant in New York I recently encountered another thing to do with leftover macaroni and cheese: deep fry it. The restaurant cut chilled macaroni and cheese into chunks, dipped the chunks in beaten egg, then rolled them in bread crumbs, and deep-fried them until golden brown.
(From “Kitchen Sense” by Mitchell Davis)
There’s not much else to say. I’ve concocted many recipes for this artery-clogging classic and this one is, in my humble opinion, by far the best. The idea to use cream cheese came from a conversation with my friend Emily, and it’s an idea for which I will be eternally grateful. The cream cheese adds a rich, cheesy background flavor that holds the whole thing together. On the occasions that I’m afraid there aren’t enough calories from fat in a meal, I serve the macaroni and cheese with fried onions or crumbled bacon or both.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons unseasoned bread crumbs, divided
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, or other strongly flavored imported grating cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 pound curly pasta, such as elbow macaroni, cavatappi, fusilli, or similar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard or 1/2 teaspoon dry, powdered mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Pinch cayenne pepper
Pinch freshly ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
8 ounces extra-aged gouda, wax removed, or aged Swiss Emmanthaller, shredded (2 cups)
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Using 1 tablespoon of the butter, grease a 2-quart baking dish. Place 2 tablespoons of the bread crumbs in the buttered dish and shake it around to evenly coat. Leave any excess bread crumbs in the bottom of the baking dish. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs with 2 tablespoons of the Parmigiano or other grating cheese, and set aside.
In a very large pot, cook the pasta in a generous amount (about 5 quarts) of boiling salted water until al dente, not more, about 8 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat 3 tablespoons of the butter. When the butter is melted, add the flour and stir, with a wooden spoon, to make a paste (this is called a roux). Cook the roux a minute or two, stirring often, until it has very lightly browned and you can smell toasted flour. Switch to a whisk. Pour in the milk and continue whisking until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, about 4 minutes. Turn down the heat to low. Whisk in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, white pepper, and salt. Add the cream cheese and stir until thoroughly melted.
Place the pasta back in the pot it was cooked in. Add the Cheddar, Gouda, and the remaining Parmigiano. Pour the hot cream sauce on top. Stir the mixture until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is well combined with the noodles. (If you are in a hurry to eat, you can actually serve the macaroni and cheese at this point; but I prefer it baked.) Transfer this mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the bread crumb and Parmigiano mixture evenly over the top. Dot with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Bake in the preheated oven about 40 minutes, until the top is nicely browned, the bread crumbs are toasted, and the sauce is bubbling.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Advance Prep
The macaroni and cheese can be made in advance. Before topping with the bread crumb mixture, cool the mac’n’cheese to room temperature in the baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a day or two. Proceed with the recipe, adding an additional 10 minutes or so to the baking time. You can also freeze the macaroni and cheese for up to a month. Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
Leftovers
The macaroni and cheese will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for up to two months. Defrost before reheating. Reheat leftovers in the microwave for a minute or two on high, or in a 300°F oven for 20 minutes or so, or until heated through.
Although it seems like it should be illegal, in a restaurant in New York I recently encountered another thing to do with leftover macaroni and cheese: deep fry it. The restaurant cut chilled macaroni and cheese into chunks, dipped the chunks in beaten egg, then rolled them in bread crumbs, and deep-fried them until golden brown.
