Mac and cheese can be nursery food: bland, rich and creamy. This version, concocted by my sous chef, Aaron Faulkner, is anything but that. Aaron is the kind of talented, obsessive cook who in his spare time dries chiles, cures Capacola, enters salsa-making competitions, brews beer of ox-stunning strength and drives his neighbors’ dogs crazy by keeping his smoker going all night.
Aaron was born here, but his family’s roots are in San Antonio and this is a mac and cheese in the style of Texas, where they love to put a little smoke, tang and spice in everything, and all pasta is “macaroni.”
What makes this version of a classic dish special is all the little touches used to attack its customary blandness: bacon fat, mustard powder, garlic, smoked cheese and vinegar. The dish also has a thick, gratifying crust made with coarse breadcrumbs, smoked Gouda and bacon.
It can be dished up family-style in a large dish, but it’s even better served as we serve it at Argyll, in individual casseroles.
Smoky Mac and Cheese
Serves four as an entrée
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole milk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon bacon fat
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped into a paste
- 2 tablespoons minced yellow onion
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ⅓ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups grated smoked Gouda
- 1 grated cheddar
- ½ teaspoon sherry or red-wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
- 1 pound cooked macaroni
- 1 cup finely diced rendered bacon, fat reserved
- ½ cup cooked breadcrumbs
Directions
In a small pot, warm the milk over low heat. In another small pot, heat the butter and bacon fat over medium heat. Add the dried thyme, mustard powder, garlic and onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
Vigorously whisk in the flour. Cook the roux, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the hot milk, whisking to make any lumps disappear. Add the salt and pepper and cook the white sauce for about 20 minutes, over low heat, stirring often.
Whisk in 1½ cups of the smoked Gouda and all the grated cheddar. Add the vinegar and the liquid smoke.
Transfer the white sauce to mixing bowl and fold in the cooked macaroni. (The recipe up to this point can be made several days in advance.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place the macaroni mixture in a large casserole dish or in individual casserole. Mix together the remaining Gouda with the bacon and the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mix over the casserole and bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly. Serve immediately.
