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Ruhlman’s Mac & Cheese w/ Soubise




Source of Recipe


"Ruhlman's Twenty" by Michael Ruhlman


Recipe Introduction


This is Michael Ruhlman’s version of macaroni and cheese. It is very different from other versions and extremely delicious. It is another recipe that I tested when I was fortunate enough to do some pre-publication testing for this book. I made this Kenny’s birthday and it was very popular, especially with Mike. That surprised me, since he isn’t a big Mac and Cheese fan – but he loved this version. A couple of notes: We don’t care for the flavor of smoked paprika, so I used regular. I find that hot sauce mixes in better than cayenne, so I used that. Cellentani is the same as Cavatappi and if you can’t find that, just use jumbo elbow pasta.


List of Ingredients




SOUBISE:
4 T. butter
1 medium onion, sliced
Kosher salt
1 shallot, roughly chopped
3 T. AP flour
1 1/2 c. milk
1 T. white wine vinegar
3 T. sherry
1 T. fish sauce
1 – 2 t. dry mustard
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
6 – 7 gratings fresh nutmeg
1/4 t. cayenne (optional)
1/4 t. smoked paprika (optional)

MACARONI AND CHEESE:
12 oz. macaroni, penne or cellentani
3 T. butter, melted
1 lb. Comté, Gruyère, Emmenthaler, Cheddar or a combination, grated
1/4 c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano tossed with 2 additional tablespoons melted butter (optional)
1/2 c. panko bread crumbs


Recipe



SOUBISE:
Melt half the butter over medium heat in a sauté pan. Add the onions and a four-fingered pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often until the onions are completely caramelized.

In a small saucepan, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and a three-fingered pinch of salt and cook until most of the water has cooked out – about one minute. Add the flour, stirring to mix. Cook until toasted and light brown. Slowly whisk in the milk. Continue to stir until the sauce thickens and begins to simmer. Mix in a three-fingered pinch of salt, the vinegar, sherry, fish sauce, dry mustard, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne and paprika. Add the caramelized onion and stir until heated through. Cool slightly and transfer to a blender and blend until puréed – you could also just use an immersion blended in the pan. Keep sauce warm over low heat.

Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and return to the pot. Brush a 9x14-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Put the pasta in a large bowl.

Sprinkle half the Comté (or whichever cheese you are using) into the soubise and stir to melt. Pour soubise over pasta. Mix well and pour into the baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining Comté over the top.

At this point you can proceed with the recipe or cool, cover and refrigerate it for up to three days [I did this and it worked just fine].

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano (if using). Toss the panko crumbs with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter and spread over the top of the pasta. Cover with aluminum foil and bake about 30 minutes (you’ll need to do it longer if it has been in the refrigerator). Remove the foil and bake until the cheese topping is browned, 15 – 20 more minutes.

Serve immediately.

Serves 6 – 10.