I've only recently got into American football, mainly because the Atlanta Falcons started picking up steam but it was disappointment all round waking up last Monday morning to find out the Falcons LOST at the Superbowl!! I managed to stay up to the end of the third quarter when it was all going well and went to sleep happy thinking, "of course the Flacons will win; how can they not when they are up so high with only one quarter to go...?" Oh, how I was wrong.
Well, anyway, I've had days wishing it was different but ultimately, I don't have that kind of power. Maybe next year, or at least in the near future.
For a nod to the American tradition and since it's Valentine's Day tomorrow (what better way to satisfy a heart than food - especially your own?!), I thought I'd put up my standard recipe for a mac and cheese. I have multiple versions of this dish which I will share over time but this one is a basic go-to for comforting the defeats of last Sunday or just giving you some extra padding for the winter.
The good thing about these kind of dishes is once you have got a hold of a great base, then you can play around with it as much as you like; different cheeses, herbs, spices, the list is endless until of course, you're adding so many different ingredients that it turns into another dish altogether.
Macaroni and Cheese
Serves: 4-8 depending on whether a main or side
Time: 30 mins.
Ingredients
250g of macaroni pasta (or preferred)
50g of butter
50g of plain flour
About a pint of milk (I used semi-skimmed or 2%) and some spare
2 cloves of garlic - finely minced
100g of grated gruyere cheese (optional)
100g of grated mature cheddar (if you have it you can also add grated mozzarella)
1/2 tsp. of nutmeg
2 teaspoons of English mustard (or any strong mustard you like - it really brings out the cheese)
Salt and pepper to taste
Sprinkling of paprika for the top if you wish
Boil water in a deep pot and cook pasta to al dente, using instructions on the packet.
While the pasta cooks, to make the roux, melt the butter in a large pan on a low-medium heat, and add the garlic.
Once fragrant, add the flour and keep whisking by hand as it goes in.
Gradually add the milk a bit at a time, continuing to whisk so it doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan.
Keep stirring for a few minutes until the mixture begins to thicken (don't be tempted to add more flour at this stage as it can go from watery to thick in an instant).
As it begins to thicken (you don't want it to be too thick as you still have to add cheese which will thicken it further), add the grated nutmeg and gradually add the cheese. I've put my measurements above but really, you can play with it all you like depending on your favoured cheese taste. If it starts to thicken too much as the cheese melts in, then just add a small splash of milk (a little goes a long way).
Next add the mustard and salt and pepper to taste. You want the cheese sauce to be thick enough so there is some weight to it and the whisk is leaving a mark when lifting it out of the mixture.
Combine the cooked pasta and the cheese sauce together in either pot or straight into an over proof dish, sprinkle some paprika on the top for some colour and place under the grill or broiler to crisp the top.
Serve and enjoy!