Perfect Macaroni and Cheese (Boston Globe)

By zircon50

Three cheeses combined make a creamy, delicious macaroni and cheese. The pasta is undercooked before it is added to the sauce; it finishes cooking as the dish bakes. An onion pique, made by using whole cloves to attach bay leaves to onion halves, infuses flavor into the sauce.

Ingredients

• Butter, for the dish
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 6 whole cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 medium onion, halved
• 6 cups milk
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dry ground mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 12 ounces sharp, white cheddar cheese,
• shredded
• 8 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Preparation

Step 1

1. Set the oven at 375 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. In a bowl, put the breadcrumbs and melted butter and mix together. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until tender but still chewy in the center. Drain into a colander, rinse with cold water, and set aside.

4. Using three whole cloves, attach one bay leaf to an onion half, making an onion pique. Repeat with remaining cloves, bay leaf, and onion half.

5. In a saucepan, over medium heat, heat the milk and onion pique, stirring often, until hot but not boiling. Using a slotted spoon, remove the onion pique and discard.

6. Meanwhile, in a heavy saucepan, on medium heat, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes, or until the color deepens. Do not allow the mixture to brown.


7. Gradually whisk in the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, for 7 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Add the mustard, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat.

8. Gradually add 8 ounces cheddar, 5 ounces Gruyere, and 2½ ounces Monterey Jack, or about ⅔ of each variety of cheese, to the sauce while stirring. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like.

9. Add the macaroni to the sauce and stir until well mixed. Transfer to the baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and the breadcrumbs evenly over the top.

10. Place the dish on the baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until browned on top and bubbling at the edges. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.