When Adam and I visited my sister over Easter weekend this past year, we ate at the Manhattan restaurant S'mac. They serve all types of mac n' cheese, including an Indian one with garam masala and other Indian spices, a French one with brie and mushrooms, and a Mediterranean one with feta, spinach, and kalamata olives. Every since we went to that restaurant, I've been wanting to try to make my own version of a specialty mac n' cheese. We absolutely love Swiss cheese, so our mac n' cheese consisted of Emmenthaler cheese, caramelized onions, and sauteed mushrooms. The flavors worked exceptionally well together. To accompany the Swiss Mac n' Cheese, we had a fresh Spinach and Raspberry Salad.
Swiss Mac n' Cheese
Next time I make this concoction, I will make some changes. For instance, I believe the sauce I used was a little too creamy and not cheesy enough. If you are going to make this, decrease the roux amount and add more cheese. I love stringy mac n' cheese, and I believe altering the proportions will achieve this effect and create perfection.
1 1/2 to 2 (about 4 cups) onions, sliced thinly into rings
olive oil
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
4 Tbs. butter
4 Tbs. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
1 1/4 cups Emmenthaler cheese, grated
8 oz. uncooked pasta, such as elbow macaroni
small slices of Emmenthaler, optional
bread crumbs, optional
1. Cover the bottom of a skillet with olive oil. Heat on medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions. Stir occasionally. Allow the onions to get to a golden brown color; be careful not to let them burn. The caramelization process will take approximately 30 minutes.
2. When the onions have fully caramelized, remove them from the pan. Add the mushrooms to the pan, and saute.
3. To make the roux, place the butter into a saucepan on medium-low heat. Melt the butter completely. Mix in the flour so that the mixture becomes smooth and bubbly. Add the salt. Then, gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the mixture becomes thickened. (This process takes considerably longer than you may think; be patient, it will happen.) Once the sauce has properly thickened, add the cheese, stirring to help it melt.
4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions.
5. After draining the pasta, put the pasta back into the large pot in which it was prepared. Thoroughly mix in the onions, mushrooms, and cheese sauce.
6. Transfer the mac n' cheese into a cast iron skillet or 8 x 10-inch baking dish. If you want your mac n' cheese super cheesy, place small slices or cubes of cheese into the pasta. Top with bread crumbs.
7. Place in a preheated 350 oven for 20-25 minutes, or until brown and bubbly.
Spinach and Raspberry Salad
The freshness of this salad went really well with the Swiss Mac n' Cheese, which is quite heavy. It helped to lighten and brighten up the entire meal.
pecans
butter
sugar
salt
Raspberry-Melon vinegar, or other light vinegar
olive oil
salt
pepper
honey
spinach, about 1 big handful for each person
red onion, finely diced
raspberries
1. Prepare candied pecans by melting a thin slab of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the pecans, enough sugar to coat, and a pinch of salt. Combine thoroughly. Toast until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the butter by stirring occasionally.
2. Mix together the vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and honey to taste.
3. Plate the spinach, topped with the red onion, raspberries, and pecans. Drizzle the vinaigrette on top.
No comments:
Post a Comment