Blaak + Mac

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This is a recipe brought to you by Facebook.

We've made Mac + Cheese using Blaak quite often.  Every time we post on Facebook that we're having it (sometimes Brent even eats it for breakfast), we get hundreds of requests for the recipe.

We didn't share because we were being stingy but because we hadn't quite perfected the recipe.

And then we were scooped.

At a recent potluck dinner, Megan Holken, the COO of Beekman 1802, came up with a version with just the right amount of crunch and spicy zest.

Now it's official.

We "like" it.

 

BLAAK & MAC

 

Ingredients

Kosher salt
Vegetable oil
1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi
1 quart fresh goats milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12 ounces BLAAK, remove rind & grate (4 cups)
2 tablespoons of whole grain mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs or Panko (5 slices, crusts removed)

 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the BLAAK,  salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.