Truffle Macaroni Cheese
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves: 6-8 people
- 250g/8.8ozs. curly macaroni
- 60g/2ozs. butter
- White part of 1 leek, finely chopped (rinse well, dirt sometimes hides in the layers)
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely diced
- 20g/0.7ozs. butter
- 2 tablespoons plain all purpose flour
- 500ml/1 pint cream
- 250g/8.8ozs. truffle cheddar cheese
- 360g/12.7ozs. mozzarella cheese, cut into small chunks and then blitzed in a food processor
- Salt and pepper to season
- 1 cup/50g/1.7ozs. panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup/40g/1.4ozs. grated parmesan cheese
- 90g/3ozs. butter, melted
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180C/350F and have a baking dish ready (mine was 26cm or 10.2 inches / 2.4L or 5 pints). First boil the macaroni in a pot of salted water for 7 minutes. Drain and put aside.
Step 2 -While the pasta is cooking, I make the leek bechamel. Melt butter in a large pot and add the leek and garlic and saute on medium heat. Add the extra lot of butter and melt and then cook the flour in the melted butter and leek mixture. Add the cream in 2-3 lots stirring between each addition. Then add the cheeses in 3 lots allowing it to melt. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in the macaroni.
Step 3 -Scoop out into the baking dish. Mix the panko, parmesan and melted butter together and sprinkle on top of the macaroni spreading out to the end. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Shave fresh truffle on top and serve.