Evie's Macaroni Cheese
Evie's Macaroni Cheese (tabasco a must)
If I ask Evie (my daughter) over the years what she would like for supper there is only one answer ever Macaroni Cheese. From a little girl and now to a young woman, ketchup always, peas probably but now with her ever changing taste it is all about what cheese and tabasco, a crunchy topping and this is how it goes…not for the faint hearted and certainly a dish you need to eat with abandon.
Serves 4
Ingredients
25g butter
25g plain flour
500ml milk
1 small white onion
4 back peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 tsp english mustard
nutmeg to grate
80g Cornish gouda (grated)
80g Parmesan (grated)
80g Keen’s cheddar (grated)
300g macaroni
2 handfuls sourdough crumbs
Zest 1 lemon
Method
Make breadcrumbs in a food processor, mix the parmesan in with the crumbs and lemon zest, set aside. Place the milk, onion quartered, peppercorns and bay leaves and grating of nutmeg in a saucepan and bring to the boil and then turn off the heat. (allow to infuse for 10 minutes).
Place a pan of salted water on the stove and bring to the boil, cook the macaroni 3 minutes less per packet instructions. Drain and save 2tbsps of pasta water.
Melt the butter in a saucepan and make a roux with the flour until a biscuit colour. Drain the milk into a jug discarding the bay leaves and onions. Gradually add the warm milk, whisking all the time, place back on a low heat until the sauce thickens. Add the cheddar and gouda to the sauce off the heat. Stir in the cooked macaroni to the sauce with the mustard, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste. Let down with the saved pasta water and pour into a gratin dish. Top with the breadcrumbs and bake for 25 minutes until the top is golden and crunchy. Buttered petit pois always.
Cook’s note
For a kick serve with some Tabasco on top.
