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Today’s Quick Fix is inspired by a question from friend of the show Doug LeMesurier. he wants to know how to get the most creamy and rich cheese sauce for his mac and cheese recipe. Here you go Doug!
There are three important components to the perfect cheese sauce:
1. The roux (flour and fat, equal parts by weight)
2. The dairy (a combo of milk and cream)
3. The cheese (fresh grated sharp cheddar, with a little grated Parmesan for good measure)
Here’s the recipe (this will make enough for one pound of macaroni! Reduce if you’d like for smaller batches):
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour (DO NOT use whole wheat flour)
3 cups whole milk (~3.2 butterfat)
2 cups heavy cream (~36% butterfat)
1 pound grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 6 cups), divided into three equal portions
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp dry mustard
salt & pepper to taste (start with a teaspoon of each)
1. Over medium-low heat in saucepan, melt butter and then whisk in flour. This is your roux. Cook your roux for about three minutes, whisking constantly.
2. Whisk in your milk and cream, a half cup at a time, and bring your sauce to a simmer (don’t bring it to a boil). Continue to simmer for about three more minutes, stirring regularly. The sauce will thicken to the point where if you dip a spoon in it, the sauce will cling to the back of the spoon. This is your Béchamel Sauce!
3. Now, begin to stir in your cheddar cheese one portion at a time until completely melted before adding another portion. Finish this process with all the cheddar and paremesan, then add the dry mustard, salt and pepper. If you desire, the sauce could handle a little more cheddar cheese (say another cup) if you need it extra cheesy. This is especially true if you aren’t using sharp cheddar. Just play it by ear!
4. That’s it! You are ready to add this sauce to pasta!
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