Eileen Sklaroff
I was walking down a street in New York with my 13-year-old granddaughter, Sydney, when I spotted a truck with the signage “Raclette & Co.” I asked her if she had ever eaten raclette, a cheese that is melted and scraped table-side. She had not, but in turn asked me if I had ever eaten halloumi. Thus ensued a lively conversation about cheese. So lively, in fact, that during the time it took to reach her apartment, she not only asked me to bring mac & cheese the following week but was craving grilled halloumi, one of the few cheeses her mother did not have in the refrigerator.
The day before my next trip to New York, my daughter-in-law sent me a text: “Syd says you are bringing Mac & Cheese.” I had not spoken to Sydney or exchanged texts during the week, but she trusted that if she asked for Mac & Cheese, I would deliver. My mac & cheese recipe requires three steps and many pots. Clean up takes more time than assembly, but the result is worth it.
Ingredients
Pasta. Choose a short, ribbed pasta like penne or rigatoni. Prepare al dente according to instructions on the package. Drain, rinse and shake off as much water as possible. Return pasta to the pot in which it was cooked.
Cheese. Three kinds of cheese, about 1 1/2 lbs. Choose a sharp cheddar, a good melter such as gouda or gruyère and a third to your liking. Hand grate the cheeses and mix together in a large bowl. You can throw in a 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan or Romano if you wish.
Béchamel sauce
3 cups of whole milk, heated to just under boiling
6 Tsbp Butter
6 Tsbp Flour
Directions
Melt butter in the top of a double boiler. You can also use a heavy saucepan, but be careful that the butter doesn’t brown.
Whisk in the flour carefully so that it is totally incorporated. Keep whisking for about 5 minutes to eliminate taste of raw flour. Add hot milk all at once and whisk vigorously so lumps do not form. Keep whisking for about 5 minutes as the sauce thickens. If you want a soupier sauce, use a little more milk or a little less flour. Add to drained pasta immediately and stir gently to coat.
Assembly
Prepare cheese first and set aside. Try to time the pasta and Béchamel so you can add the sauce to the drained pasta as soon as it is ready.
Layer pasta and cheese in the prepared pan with a grinding of black pepper in between each layer. There should be three layers.
Mix panko bread crumbs and two to three tablespoons of butter with your fingers until you have a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle on top.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour. The mac & cheese should be golden brown and crispy on top when finished. B’tayavon!
Eileen Sklaroff, Philadelphia
