Fancy Macaroni & Cheese

An old childhood favorite, grown up and dressed up. This makes a luxurious first course baked in individual ramekins; you wouldn't need more than a salad and a bottle of wine to make it a very fine meal on its own.

This will seem too wet when you’re pouring it into the baking dish, but there’s a trick here. You really need to undercook the pasta – it will finish cooking in the oven, absorbing a significant amount of cream and producing an ideal final consistency.

Ingredients #

Instructions #

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. When the foam subsides, add the panko and toast, stirring constantly, for a few minutes or just until the crumbs begin to color. Set aside.

Fill a large pot with at least 10 cups of water, and salt it heavily. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and stir to ensure that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot as it cooks. Cook it only 8-10 minutes – it should still be firm.

Drain the macaroni, reserving 1 c. of the cooking liquid.

In the same pot, add the cream, garlic cloves and reserved cooking liquid and bring to a simmer. Add the mustard and 3 c. of the Gruyère. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Simmer over gentle heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese is completely melted into the cream. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the cheddar. Stir and simmer again until the sauce is completely smooth. Add a couple of drops of Worcestershire and a few dashes of Tabasco. Taste for seasoning.

Add the drained macaroni to the sauce and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to rest on the stove for 5-10 minutes. Fish out and discard the garlic cloves.

Pour the macaroni mixture into a baking dish. Top with the buttered panko crumbs and the remaining Gruyère. Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet (it tends to bubble over) and bake for 15 minutes.

Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.