The Studd Sibling's Creamy Comfort Mac ‘N’ Cheese
This recipe is from Ellie and Sam Studd’s book The Best Things in Life are Cheese. Sam and Ellie will be joining us at Hill Street Sandy Bay on 14 and 15 June for Solstice with the Studds – a night filled with cheesy goodness. Book your tickets, see link below the recipe. Sam and Ellie say : “It has to be elbow or macaroni pasta to bring those big, warm hug feels to mac ’n’ cheese. Perhaps it’s nostalgia or those crafty Italians and their pasta science that engineers the best shapes for the right sauce. In any case, step away from the risoni, it’s not gonna cut it.”
How long will it take?
1 hour
What’s the serving size?
Serves 4-6
What do I need?
- 400 g dried macaroni
- 75 g unsalted butter
- 1 leek, white part only, washed well and finely sliced
- Sea salt flakes and freshly
- Ground black pepper
- 50 g (¹⁄³ cup) plain flour
- 750 mL (3 cups) full-cream milk
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 4 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
- 200 g sharp cheddar, grated
- 100 g firm mozzarella or melty cheese of your choice
- Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
How do I make it?
- Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water over high heat for 3 minutes less than the packet instructions. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of the cooking water. Set aside.
- In the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium–low heat, add the leek and a pinch of salt and cook for about 8 minutes, until softened but not browned. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, one ladleful at a time and stirring constantly to prevent lumps, until incorporated. Add the mustard and half the thyme, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often, for 3–4 minutes, until thickened. Remove the pan from the heat, add three-quarters of the cheese and stir until melted. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then stir through the lemon zest.
- Preheat the oven grill to high.
- Add the macaroni to a 2.5 litre baking dish, along with the reserved cooking water. Pour over the cheese sauce and mix through, then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Place the mac ’n’ cheese under the hot grill and cook for 10–15 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling. Scatter with the remaining thyme leaves and serve with a side of green salad.
