Mac and Cheese

Bahan-bahan

1.5 lbs cheese, any make up of the following:

Parmesan, shredded

Gruyere, shredded

Sharp white cheddar, shredded

Fontina, shredded

Low moisture full-fat mozzarella, cubed

½ cup butter

½ cup flour

4 cups cold whole milk

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

Cayenne pepper (optional)

2 Tbsp whole grain mustard

Petunjuk

Start by shredding the parmesan, gruyere, fontina, and sharp white cheddar on the large hole side of a box grater and cubing the mozzarella cheese. All together it should be 1 ½ lb.

In a large saucepan, melt ½ cup of butter over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until it stops spattering, the stage right before browning. Make sure to swirl regularly so the butter doesn’t splatter.

At this point, add ½ cup of flour and whisk into a thick paste and cook for 2-3 minutes until the raw flour smell dissipates.

At which point, slowly add the 4 cups of cold milk a little at a time. Slowly add ½ cup of milk while whisking together until it reaches a smooth paste then add another ½ cup whisk until smooth, and so on and so forth until all of the 4 cups of milk have been added.

Whisk that rigorously over medium-high heat until it comes to a bare simmer and reaches a consistency of just thicker than that of heavy cream.

Once the bechamel is finished, combine all the cheese (except mozzarella) into a heatproof bowl. Pour the bechamel over top through a fine-mesh strainer. Fold the cheese into the bechamel and whisk until it is fully melted and turned into a mornay sauce.

Season with a bunch of salt, freshly ground pepper, cayenne pepper (optional), and 2 tablespoons of whole grain mustard and whisk to combine.

Mix in mozzarella and pour into a casserole dish. Top with additional parmesan and cheddar. Bake until the cheese on top is melted.