Macaroni And Cheese Recipe From Mike Whisenhunt
Gives us a recipe for smoked-gouda mac and cheese
What's the sous chef at a modern Korean restaurant doing giving us a recipe for ultra-creamy, smoky pasta? Let's face it: No one is immune to the power of macaroni and cheese, including Mike Whisenhunt, sous chef at Revel in Seattle.
The Seattle native decided early on that he was "never going to sit at a desk," eschewing a career in finance for one in the kitchen. For his take on the comforting dish, he makes a rich, silky sauce by blending cheese into a hot velouté (a roux thinned with chicken broth). Should you feel guilty about using an entire pound of cheese for the recipe, take heart: Whisenhunt uses whole-wheat pasta.
Mike Whisenhunt, Revel, Seattle, WA
Macaroni And Cheese
Sous Chef Series | Mike Whisenhunt
Prep Time
0
minutes
Cook Time
1
hour
Servings
4
servings (plus leftovers)
Total time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- Ghee, 5½ tablespoons (or melted unsalted butter)
- All-purpose flour, ½ cup, plus extra if needed
- Chicken broth, 2 ⅔ cups (hot)
- Heavy cream, 2 cups
- Kosher salt, 1 tablespoon plus 1¼ teaspoons, and extra for serving
- Freshly ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon plus a pinch, and extra for serving
- Shallots, 3 medium (halved lengthwise and roughly chopped)
- Garlic, 7 whole cloves
- Smoked gouda cheese, 1 pound (coarsely grated)
- Whole-wheat pasta shells, 1 pound
- Panko bread crumbs, 2 cups
- Extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon
Directions
- In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, use the wooden spoon to combine: 5 tablespoons ghee All-purpose flour The mixture should look like wet sand; if it doesn't, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue to stir until the mixture (roux) is smooth and thick and starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, 1 to 3 minutes. While whisking, vigorously add in: 1⅓ cups hot chicken broth Once the chicken broth is incorporated, whisk in the: Heavy cream Simmer the sauce until thickened and reduced slightly, about 15 minutes. Season with: ¼ teaspoon kosher salt Pinch of freshly ground black pepper Turn off the heat.
- In a medium skillet set over medium-high heat, add the: Remaining ½ tablespoon ghee Roughly chopped shallots Garlic cloves Cook, using the wooden spoon to stir often, until the shallots are translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour in the remaining: 1⅓ cups hot chicken broth Simmer the shallot-garlic mixture until the shallots and garlic are soft, about 5 minutes, then transfer to a blender and blend until completely smooth. Pour the blended shallot-garlic mixture into the saucepan with the cream mixture. Turn the heat on to medium and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes (if the sauce seems too thick and pasty, thin it with a little water).
- Pour half of the hot cream sauce into the blender and blend on low speed while adding half of the: Grated smoked gouda cheese Once the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth, pass it through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining hot cream sauce and cheese. Stir the two batches together in a large bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Bring a soup pot filled with water to a boil. Add: 1 tablespoon kosher salt Whole-wheat pasta shells Cook, following the package instructions, until the pasta is al dente. Drain into the colander and transfer to a large bowl. Using a ladle, add enough of the cheese sauce to generously coat the pasta, then transfer to a 9-inch baking dish. Ladle the remaining cheese sauce over the top of the pasta, pressing down with the bottom of the ladle to compress the pasta so it is somewhat flat on top.
- In a small bowl, mix together the: Panko breadcrumbs Extra-virgin olive oil Remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt Remaining ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Sprinkle the seasoned breadcrumbs evenly over the top of the pasta and bake until the breadcrumbs are toasted, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with a little more freshly ground black pepper. Serve hot.