Trying to explain mac and cheese recipes is like exploring a swamp. There is no direct path, you are up to your tits in water, and every step risks ripping your boot off. For this recipe, I’m just going to go “tried and true” for the foundations. I picked Radiator as the pasta because it holds hella sauce, and has a great forkability, but use what you have or want.
Why it works:
The golden crust and red filling is paired well with the green bell internal garnish. a great use of picked crab meat after a boil.
Yield: Yield: 4 quarts
Time: 20 minutes
Pairing: Crab cake sandwiches,
References:
Equipment:
Medium heavy bottom stock pot
Heavy bottom medium Saucepan
Heavy bottom Large pot
Heat Proof Spatula
Whisk
Ingredients:
Roux
Bechamel is one of the five mother sauces, which means this is the foundation of a billion other sauces. Due to that, I think it’s important to do it really well, make a lot, and store it for later. I’ve never had a problem freezing Bech, but if it does break, use an immersion blender and put it back together, ya dingus.
Begin the bechamel by building a blonde roux. Melt one stick of butter in a saucepan, and whisk in flour to the consistency of wet sand. Whisk over low heat until Blonde. Slowly whisk in milk and add in onion piquet and white pepper pouch. Simmer on low for 1 hour, stirring bottom with non-stick spatula to keep bottom from scorching. 1 hour is necessary to cook out the flour taste, and to steep all the aromatic flavors. Bech should smell and taste excellent at this point. Remove aromatics, and store what you want.
While bechamel simmers, grate the cheeses and boil the pasta until al dente. Radiatore is fragile, and will go from hard to falling apart quickly, so error on the side of underdone.
Fold cheese into bechamel until fully melted. Use an immersion blender if needed. Sauce should coat a spoon. Hooray, you made a mornay!
Drain pasta and add to mornay, let simmer in sauce for 5-10 minutes to fully cook pasta.
Season to taste with salt.
Plate and garnish with bread crumbs, green onion, shredded cheese, Cayenne pepper, black pepper, or chopped up hot dog (you sick canadian fuck).
Plating instructions:
Tasting Journal
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