Crab Mac 'N Cheese
A recipe adapted from Sorry Charlie's Oyster Bar
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 55 minutes
Serves 6
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 400ml/14flozs. cream
- 300ml/10.6flozs. milk
- 2 onions, peeled and diced
- 2-3 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 2 teaspoons chicken stock powder
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese or Havarti
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- Tabasco or chilli sauce to taste
- Salt and pepper to season
- 300g/10.6ozs. cavatelli or corkscrew pasta (or another pasta if you prefer)
- 500g/1.1lb cooked crab meat
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated mozzarella
- 50g/1.7ozs. butter, cut into small cubes
Step 1 - First make the cheese sauce. Heat a large cast iron pot to medium heat and add the butter and melt. Add the flour and stir and cook for 30 seconds or so. Then add the cream and milk and stir until it thickens. Add the onions, Old Bay and stock powder. Then add the cheeses and chilli sauce and then season to taste with salt and pepper. You want it quite seasoned because the pasta will dilute the flavour.
Step 2 - Preheat oven to 180C/350F. While it is cooking, boil the pasta in plenty of salted, boiling water until al dente. Do not overcook as this will go into the oven to cook further. Stir in the crab meat and scoop into a baking dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, mozzarella and butter cubes. Bake for 30 minutes.