Modernist Mac and cheese

Soldato
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OK so mustard and cayenne sound like a common denominator for next batch
..just realised could also add some into home made pasta directly too.
(typically have only put worcestershire sauce into sauce till now)

Should you strictly avoid boiling sodium citrate version or bechamel; with bechamel I have seen this split if it is oven too long or too hot ?
 
Man of Honour
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love mac and cheese although quite fussy and never perfected it, has to be unbaked, no toppings, no additions (well some sausages on the side is fine), just that creamy gooey texture. Love the texture from the evaporated milk method, evaporated milk, butter, cheese, English mustard. but its far to sweet for my liking, but roux base just doesn't cut the texture these days. tried the Heston one and it was vile, wrong texture wrong taste. beer wtf should be no where near it.

will have to give some other recipes in here a go.
 
Caporegime
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I prefer the Swiss Älplermagrone. Your regular mac & cheese (except you use heavy cream and not milk) but filled with fried onions, bacon, potatoes, with a decent crust
 
Soldato
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aka in France : tartiflette and mac ?

.. am not convinced by this evaporated milk idea - 25g sugar per cup as Glaucus alludes.
The EEC needs to give mac&cheesse some analog of Protected Designation of Origin.
 
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Soldato
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... rebooting this - comfort food time -
have folks persisted with the sodium citrate variant of mac'n cheese cheese sauce ? or too much hassle, maybe, getting quantities correct.

I stupidly forgot it was sodium citrate from this thread, so last night (1st ever attempt) added some citric acid - the sauce no longer splits - but had to bin most of it,
I hope there is no after-taste from the sodium citrate ?
 
Associate
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Love Macaroni Cheese just do it the normal way but with colmans cheese sauce mix rather than a roux.Add loads of grated chedder,a dollop of creme freche,splat of colmans mustard and pepper.I'm not keen on adding extras like tomato or suasage etc just the mac and cheese.
 
Associate
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Would this method work with Cauliflower Cheese? Love cauliflower cheese! Trying to limit my carbs (medical reasons) and this will have less than a roux based sauce.

Worth a try? Before I rush out and buy some of this sodium citrate.
 
Soldato
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No - I'm not convinced by sodium citrate idea -
suggestion that it tastes sour like the citric acid I inadvertently tried, Lopez does not seem to address that, which was quasi inedible
I don't usually put garlic/mustard or other ingredients in that might mask the sourness, adding something sweet to compensate is daft.

Even his alternative evapoporated milk based variant .. well that is sweet and has a distinctive, bordering caramel'esque, flavour.

It is not so widely available either, one principal brand on Amazon/specialingredients.co.uk, but I would probably go the (unadulterated) ebay route .
 
Soldato
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you are right garak112 must be an American ? it does seem unclear where it was invented though.
I assume you are not related to the J. Kenji López-Alt Chief Culinary Advisor
(afterthought .. you would become a made man)
 
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Soldato
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... since the flavour of sodium citrate was not me

has anyone tried Béchamel prepared with either olive oil, rapeseed, or more elaborate oils ?

thought I would try it out as an alternative (flavour) to increasingly expensive butter.
 
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