Denhay 'Soubise' 3 Cheese Mac n Cheese, Crispy Bacon Topping
Serves 2 people Prep 10 minutes Cook 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pkt Denhay Smoked Back Bacon (diced)
- 350g Macaroni
- 4 large White Onions (Sliced)
- 80g Butter
- 60g Plain Flour
- 500ml Whole Milk
- 100ml Double Cream (optional)
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- Fresh Thyme
- Dijon Mustard
- 100g Strong Cheddar (grated)
- 100g Gruyere (grated)
- 50g Parmesan (grated)
- 100g Fresh Breadcrumbs
- 1 Lemon
Method
Heat a pan on medium heat add 2/3 of the bacon and cook until browned and crispy. Remove from the pan and add 60g of the butter. When it foams add the onions and cook until caramelised stirring continuously (about 15 minutes).
Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Add the pasta and cook for 8 minutes until 2/3 cooked. Keep some of the water for the sauce.
Once the onions are ready add the flour and mix well. Slowly add the milk stirring to make sure no lumps are formed and you have a smooth silky sauce. Simmer on low heat for 5-6 minutes to cook the flour. Take off the heat and season with salt and lots of black pepper, 2 tsps of mustard, and a heaped tspn of smoked paprika. Add the cream and some of the pasta water to get the correct consistency. Add the 3 cheeses and the cooked bacon and mix in. Add the pasta, 50ml of double cream, and some of the pasta water until you have a creamy consistency.
Finely chop the bacon and fry in 20g of butter in a medium pan until it starts to brown and crisp up. Add chopped fresh thyme and garlic and then add your breadcrumbs and mix well. Take off the heat and add 20g or parmesan. Grate in the zest of a lemon and add 1 heaped tspn of Smoked Paprika.
Put the pasta mix into an ovenproof dish and top with the bacon breadcrumbs. Bake in a moderate oven for 15-20 minutes until piping hot and golden brown on top.
Serve with a green salad, lemon, thyme, and mustard dressing, and a nice loaf of bread.