Mac World

Simply prepared or revved up with modern spins, macaroni and cheese endures as a menu standard

By Laura Yee, Senior Editor -- Restaurants & Institutions, 9/15/2003

Beneath macaroni and cheese’s straightforward makeup lies a foundation willing to embrace change. This sublime concoction of shredded cheese whirled into sauce and tossed with elbow macaroni readily answers restaurant patron calls for comfort. But as satisfying as the original version may be, remakes of the classic re-energize this longtime favorite.

Chef Douglas Keane knew that macaroni and cheese deserved a menu presence at 72-seat Market Restaurant in St. Helena, Calif., where the food celebrates American classics as well as the Golden State’s agricultural bounty. Not a fan of the traditional white sauce base, which he feels is bland and prone to curdling, Keane was in a quandary as to how to prepare mac and cheese. Some experimentation, in collaboration with Market’s sous-chef, resulted in a dish that Keane feels is a match for other items on his menu. Described as “very adult macaroni and cheese,” the dish nixes white sauce, using instead two unexpected ingredients: sour cream and Dijon mustard.

“I am an acid freak. Acidity from the sour cream wakes up flavors while mustard gives a nice twist,” Keane says. “Béchamel [white sauce] is old school and doesn’t do anything like that.”

To prepare his mac and cheese, Keane tosses cooked elbow macaroni with mustard and sour cream and then blends it with a reduction of cream. Crispy wood-smoked bacon, locally made Cheddar-style and Parmesan cheeses also are added. As soon as the cheese melts, the mixture is removed from the heat and spooned into a serving crock. A topping of pan-toasted panko breadcrumbs finishes the presentation.

“You don’t want to cook the cheese long or you could end up with a broken sauce,” says Keane. “That’s why I toast the panko breadcrumbs separately. The cheese doesn’t have to endure any more heat and risk the chance of the fat separating.”

Changes to the basic formula often involve minor edits— introducing a small amount of sautéed vegetables, the freshness of minced herbs, the bold taste of hot chiles and spices or a crisp-crunchy breadcrumb topping.

These ideas apply whether mac and cheese is made in house or purchased fully prepared. If starting entirely from scratch is too labor intensive, some chefs find that personalized flavor touches are easily folded into the base mixture.