One of the very best things ever to come out of America, Mac & Cheese has been a Spice Mountain favourite for as long as we can remember. As one of the most satisfying comfort foods it has been a midweek staple, and that oozingly cheesy flavour is only improved by the judicious addition of spice. There are differing schools of thought on whether Mac & Cheese should be finished in the oven – we say it depends if you’re in a crunchy mood, or a saucy one! Dare to be different, and rotate between both. Mac & Cheese can be enjoyed alone, with a crunchy salad, and it is amazing served alongside the Beef Brisket featured in the previous recipe.
01.
Ingredients
Macaroni (50g per person)
Grated mature cheddar cheese, about 150g
3tbs butter
about 1tbs plain flour
500-600ml whole milk (semi-skimmed or skimmed will not work nearly so well)
grated nutmeg
3tsp Spice Mountain Cajun spice blend
1/2tsp ground cumin
1/4tsp tabasco chilli powder
1tsp Dijon mustard
02.
Method
- First cook your pasta, which needs to be al dente, and then drain and rinse with cold water.
- Now make your cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then stir in the flour, mixing thoroughly until you have a paste.
- Now add the milk, stirring all the time, little by little until it is all amalgamated (if you find you are getting lumps, use a whisk instead of a spoon).
- Still stirring all the time bring the sauce to the boil, at which point it should thicken to the consistency of a good custard.
- Turn down the heat to a gentle simmer, and add the cheese, the spices and the mustard, and keep heating till the cheese has melted.
- There are two ways forward now – either just mix the pasta and the sauce and serve ‘runny’, or mix the pasta and sauce in a baking dish and pop in a hot oven for 15 minutes or so, for a thicker version with a lovely crunchy top. Both ways result in one of the tastiest foodstuffs known to man!
