The Savoriest Mac & Cheese
After having the renowned mac and cheese from Dumont in Brooklyn, I set out to recreate it as best I could. This is as close as I could get to the master.
After having the renowned mac and cheese from Dumont in Brooklyn, I set out to recreate it as best I could. This is as close as I could get to the master.
- salt to taste
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
- cayenne pepper to taste
- 2 cup smoked gouda grated
- 2 cup gruyere grated
- 2 cup sharp cheddar grated
- 1 cup parmesan grated
- nutmeg to taste
- 16 oz. pasta
- 1+ tablespoon white truffle oil
- Carbohydrate 46.6537192484663 g
- Cholesterol 296.417325 mg
- Fat 56.8713398332938 g
- Fiber 0.328946661818482 g
- Protein 48.6482042497105 g
- Saturated Fat 32.5886641999932 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (255g)
- Sodium 1076.58184999989 mg
- Sugar 46.3247725866478 g
- Trans Fat 5.88334101665534 g
- Calories 894 calories
Step-by-step
- first you need to make the mornay sauce. melt the butter in a medium to large sauce pan on medium heat. whisk in the flourand let cook for about 2 minutes. slowly whisk in the milk and allow sauce to thicken, stirring often.
- as the sauce is thickening, blend the egg yolks with one tablespoon of heavy cream, and set aside for a moment.
- separate 1/3 cup each, of your grated gruyere, gouda and cheddar, saving the rest for later. once the sauce has thickened enough to coat a spoon, slowly fold the separated cheeses in over a low heat. season with nutmeg, cayenne pepper and salt to your preference. once the cheese has fully melted, remove from heat. blend in the egg yolk mixture, and then the additional tablespoon of heavy cream. return to the low heat and allow to thicken, stirring often.
- cook your pasta while the mornay sauce is thickening. fold the pasta into your mornay sauce and stir till pasta is fully coated. add the white truffle oil and stir well. pour into a large casserole dish or large cast iron skillet. top with the rest of the cheese saving the parmesan for last.
- cover with foil and bake at 450 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. uncover and continue baking until the top becomes golden and crispy.
A bubbling crust of parmesan and sharp cheddar gives way to an intensely unctuous interior where strands of pasta are bound by a glossy mornay sauce infused with white truffle oil. Crafting this dish requires building a proper roux by cooking whole wheat flour in melted butter for exactly two minutes to eliminate raw starch flavors before whisking in cold milk. While whisking continuous batches over heat demands steady arm work, a heavy-bottomed stainless steel saucepan prevents scorching better than thin aluminum variants. Incorporating egg yolks tempered with heavy cream at the end of the sauce-making process introduces lecithin, which stabilizes the emulsion so the dairy fats do not separate under high oven temperatures.
Freezing and Reheating Strategies
Assembling this casserole ahead of time makes entertaining manageable since unbaked dishes can be wrapped tightly in plastic and stored in the freezer for up to one month. Thawing the casserole completely in the refrigerator over twenty-four hours ensures the center reaches oven temperature without burning the parmesan crust at 450 degrees. Portioning leftovers into individual glass containers allows for quick mid-week lunches that reheat reliably in a 350-degree oven rather than a microwave, which often makes melted cheese rubbery. Stirring an extra splash of whole milk into leftover portions before baking restores the silky consistency of the original sauce.
- If the sauce appears grainy when melting the cheeses, remove the pan from the burner entirely and whisk vigorously to drop the temperature below 160 degrees.
- Substitute regular all-purpose flour at a one-to-one ratio if whole wheat flour is unavailable in the pantry.
- Bake uncovered for the final five minutes to achieve optimal browning on the gouda and gruyère topping.
