What's cooking this weekend.

As the rules of food usually go, if it’s this bad for you it must taste great!

This isn’t your ordinary Mac & Cheese this mac has depth, richness and character that stands out from the crowd. Why? Because it has all of the greatest things in life, all in one batch of mac. First, it has the trinity (onion, carrot, and celery), next sharp cheddar cheese, why not complement that with some beer, and finish it all off with bacon… lets get started.

WHAT TO BUY:

Lets start with some good cheese. I like to go with a trio of cheddars for this dish. You can substitute your favorites of course, but I always go with Vermont White, Extra Sharp, and Mild Cheddar. Each has it’s own note, it’s own texture, and it just works. Trust me.

You’ll also need your favorite Irish brew. A bottle of Irish red beer complements the cheese best. The Irish red is the perfect balance, it’s stout, but not overpowering, and has just a hint of toasty goodness.

A whisk and spatula are also handy for this recipe.

TOOLS REQUIRED:


You will need a blender, stick mixer (aka immersion blender), or worst case a food processor. This is because we want a smooth texture through out the cheese sauce. As you will see the ingredient list there are onion, carrots and celery and once we have extracted the flavor, we don’t want them floating around any more.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Stick of butter
2/3 Cup onion, diced fine
2/3 Cup carrots, shredded
2/3 Cup celery, diced fine
one bottle of Irish Red Beer
1 tbsp flour
3 cups heavy cream (no substitutes), divided
1 cup Vermont white cheddar
1 cup extra sharp cheddar
1 cup mild cheddar
one fine pinch of nutmeg
3 egg yolks
2 slices of very crisp bacon, chopped to bits
1lb pasta (shells, twists, elbows or bow ties)
salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Begin by adding butter to a medium sauce pan set to a low simmer. Add onion, celery, carrots and cook low and slow, you do not want to brown them. Sweat the mixture until they become light and semi translucent, about 8-10 minutes.

Next, add the flour and stir until the flour has absorbed some of the butter. Pour in the bottle of beer and reduce it by half. This will bring all of those flavors together and concentrate them in to a rich broth.

This part can be a bit tricky, so please read carefully and throughly. Be careful blending hot liquids in a blender, do not cover tightly. Add one cup of cream, stir and move to a blender. Blend until the vegetables are fully dissolved and the sauce is nice and smooth. Move back to the sauce pan and add the remaining cream and a touch of nutmeg.

Bring the mixture to a high simmer, but do not boil. Cream can boil quickly, so keep close attention. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 10 minutes, then reduce to low.

Next, temper the egg yolks in to the sauce. Before you begin, make sure your sauce is at a very low simmer. Scramble the eggs in a small bowl. Add a small amount of sauce to the eggs, while whisking together. Return the egg & sauce back to the pan slowly, again whisking as you pour. This process will ensure your eggs do not cook quickly and become lumpy inside the sauce.

Allow the sauce to simmer on low for a few minutes. The longer the simmer, the thicker the sauce will become. Remove the pan from the heat when the sauce is close to the desired thickness.

Last, bring the sauce and pasta together in serving bowl, and top with any remaining cheese and crispy bacon bits. Serve and enjoy!

An update will be posted as soon as pictures are available.