Truffle Mac ‘n’ Cheese – A little bit of Luxury. You may like me probably think of the dish Macaroni Cheese as almost as American as apple pie. Indeed, Thomas Jefferson was recorded as an early fan. However, you would be surprised to learn it was early English immigrant settlers who most likely first imported the recipe to the USA and Canada. Perhaps now the ultimate comfort food Mac ‘n’ Cheese is a staple teatime dish worldwide. It is served as a side dish in thousands of restaurants. And chefs have elevated the humble dish by adding crab meat, lobster tail or truffle.
A little bit of Mac ‘n’ Cheese History
A recipe ‘To Dress Macaroni with Parmesan Cheese’ appeared in a cookery book from 1769. It was called The Experienced English Housekeeper by Elizabeth Raffauld. It includes cream thickened with butter and flour and is topped with a layer of Parmesan before baking. The recipe was taken over to America and became a popular dish. Particularly in the Antebellum era and especially in the southern states.
Are you a big pasta fan like me? Then why not try one of the following delicious recipes. Jersey Crab and King Prawn Linguine, classic Spaghetti with Clams and Tomatoes or slow-cooked Shin of Beef Ragu with Fettuccini.
It was during the Great Depression that Grant Leslie had the idea to parcel macaroni pasta and grated cheese together. It was said to have prevented America from starving. In 1937 the Kraft company then introduced the prepackaged Macaroni cheese Kraft Dinner to the USA and Canada. Using processed cheese greatly extended the shelf-life. Wartime privation and dairy rationing soon led to a vast increase in demand. During that period over fifty million boxes were sold. Made by simply adding milk and butter or margarine it became a household favourite. Mac ‘n’ Cheese is now considered by some as the national dish of Canada.
My Truffle Mac ‘n’ Cheese Recipe
There are a lot of recipes online for Truffle Mac ‘n’ Cheese using truffle oil and truffle powder. I don’t like the flavour of these products and prefer to use a good truffle cheese that contains real truffle pieces. I highly recommend Snowdonia Cheese Company Truffle Trove, a mature Cheddar with Italian black summer truffle. The result is an aromatic creamy cheese with rich earthy overtones. If you are feeling truly indulgent you can use your favourite mature Cheddar and sliced black truffle.
Truffle Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Ingredients
- 250 gr Macaroni
- 80 gr Salted Jersey Butter
- 1 Leek thoroughly cleaned, dried, and finely chopped
- 50 gr Plain Flour
- 300 ml Full Fat Jersey Milk
- 300 ml Jersey Single Cream
- 250 gr Truffle Cheddar Cheese
- 80 gr Parmesan Cheese
- 40 gr Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- ½ teaspoon fresh Thyme
- Freshly ground Nutmeg
- Sea salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
Equipment
- 1 Oven proof dish
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the leek and gently sauté without colouring until soft. In a second pan heat the milk and the cream until it is just about to boil and remove from the heat.
- Add the flour to the butter and leeks and cook for two minutes stirring continuously. The flour will take on a golden sandy texture. Add the mustard.
- Slowly pour in the heated cream and milk, whisking all the time, and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir regularly to prevent the mixture from sticking and burning. Add a generous grating of fresh nutmeg.
- Preheat your oven to 350 F / 180 C / Gas mark 4 and boil a large pan of salted water. Cook the macaroni following the manufacturer’s instructions, leaving plenty of bite as the pasta will continue to cook in the oven. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- Add the truffle Cheddar and half of the Parmesan to the leek sauce and stir until the cheeses are melted. Remove from the heat. Add the thyme and check the seasoning.
- Mix the pasta and sauce and pour into an oven-proof baking dish. Sprinkle with the panko breadcrumbs and the remaining Parmesan and place into the oven. Bake for thirty to thirty-five minutes until brown and bubbling. Serve with a green salad.
Notes
There may be egg in the pastaCAN I ASK A FAVOUR?
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