Amy wrote:
Frank,
Modernist mac 'n cheese is less a "heart attack on a plate" than traditional...no reliance on bechamel.
Amy
Amy's "Modernist" Mac & Cheese...you decide...me? I'm dyin' fat & happy...
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
5 cups hot half-and-half (you can use any combination of milk and cream as well; depends upon how rich you want it)
2 cups white cheddar
1 cups gruyere
1 cups fontina
1 cup parmigiano (you can also use romano)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or hot sauce (you may want less...it's really to taste)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup bread crumbs (don't personally use, but many like it this way)
1 lb. macaroni
Melt butter in saucepan. Whisk in flour to make a roux. Slowly whisk in hot half-and-half, whisking constantly until sauce becomes thick. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup cheddar, 3/4 cup gruyere, 3/4 cup fontina, 1/2 cup parmagiano, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, salt and ground pepper. Stir until cheese is melted. Taste (my favorite part) and adjust seasoning.
Meanwhile cook macaroni until really al dente. (You do not want it to cook too much...it should be underdone.) Drain, add to cheese sauce and mix well. Put in a buttered baking dish. Top with remaining cheese and bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes, or until bubbly and brown on top.
If you like, I also do this with onion and garlic. They give a nice depth of flavor, but it's not for everybody. If you want to do that, then saute about 1/2 cup diced onion. When transparent add 4 cloves of minced garlic and saute briefly. Add this mixture to the cheese sauce.
You can play around with the proportions of the cheeses in this. It's really whatever you like.
Amy
(I'll not mention your mac & cheese