Comme Ça Mac and Cheese (Chef David Myers Recipe as seen on The Talk)

By á-15956

Time consuming to make but well worth it, Chef Myers is awesome!
Not crazy about sharp cheese so I substitute Monterey Jack & Mozzarella for the sharp Vermont Yellow Cheddar. Any cheese seems to work.

Ingredients

• PASTA
• 1 lb. dried elbow macaroni
• 1/2 large pot of boiling water
• Kosher Salt - water should be almost as salty as the ocean
• .
• CHEESE SAUCE
• 1 qt. whole milk (can substitute 1 or 2%)
• 1/4 lb. butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (organic)
• 1 cup sharp Vermont Yellow Cheddar cheese - grated
• 1 cup mild Wisconsin Cheddar cheese - grated
• 1/2 tsp. ground mustard seeds
• Kosher Salt & Pepper to taste
• .
• CRUMB TOPPING
• 1 1/2 cups Panko Japanese Bread Crumbs
• 1/4 lb. butter
• 3 cloves garlic - germ removed - minced fine
• Kosher Salt & Pepper to taste

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 60mins
Cooking time 90mins

Preparation

Step 1

PASTA:
Bring water to boil, season aggressively with kosher salt.
Cook macaroni until al dente, do not cook until done
(as this will cause pasta to be OVERDONE when you bake the mac & cheese later)
Drain pasta, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Toss lightly with canola oil,
Spread evenly on a baking sheet to cool. (Oil prevents pasta from sticking together)

CHEESE SAUCE:
In a large sauce pan melt butter over low heat and add all the flour.
Whisk together until the well-combined mixture looks like wets sand.
(This is basically a blonde roux thickening agent.)
Add the cold milk slowly whisking constantly, to avoid lumps.
Add the mustard seed. Bring to a boil. The sauce will become nice thick.
Add all the mild cheddar and 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese slowly until all of is combined.
Season with salt and pepper.

At this point you can have individual dishes or one big casserole buttered and prepped.
Add all the pasta to cheese sauce. Mix to combine very well.
Pour into your serving dish, top with the remaining 1 cup of sharp cheddar.

PANKO BREAD CRUMB TOPPING:
In shallow pan, over low heat, melt butter
Add all the garlic and cook slowly till garlic is soft. About 10 min. DO NOT COLOR THE GARLIC.
Add the panko all at once, and stir until golden brown and toasted. Season to taste.

Bake the macaroni in 375 oven until bubbly and golden brown. (About 30 minutes.)
Add panko bread crumb topping during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Remove from oven; let it rest for 10 minutes. EAT.