Soufflé Mac Cheese Food

SOUFFLé MAC 'N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Melt half the butter with the olive oil in a large saucepan, then add the shallots. Cook until soft and golden, then stir in the garlic before tipping everything into a large bowl.
• Put the pasta in a large saucepan filled with boiling water. Cook for 2 mins less than instructed on the pack. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Return the pan you used for the shallots to the heat and add the rest of the butter, followed by the flour. Stir well, then add the milk gradually, stirring all the time, to make a smooth, glossy white sauce. Once all the milk has been added, tip in the shallots and garlic, followed by a third of the Gruyère. Take the pan off the heat and mix in the egg yolks, Dijon and nutmeg, then season well.
• Drain the cooked pasta, lay it in a deep casserole dish and mix in the ham hock and cheddar chunks. Whisk up the egg whites to stiff peaks and stir a dollop into the cheese sauce mixture in the pan. Now fold in the rest without knocking out too much air. Pour the sauce over the pasta, ensuring it fills all the gaps, gently easing the sauce to the bottom of the dish - don't over mix. Sprinkle with the rest of the Gruyère and bake for 15-20 mins or until the cheese on the top has melted and become golden.
• Meanwhile, make the salad dressing. Combine the Dijon and cider vinegar in a large bowl, then gradually whisk in the sunflower oil until all the oil is added and the dressing has emulsified. Season and stir in the herbs. Toss most of the dressing through the salad leaves, and serve extra on the side. Serve with the mac 'n' cheese.

CHEESE SOUFFLé IN 4 EASY STEPS

Steps:

• Preparing the soufflé dish: Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and place a baking sheet on the middle shelf. Butter a 15cm soufflé dish generously, then sprinkle in the breadcrumbs and rotate the dish to ensure the butter is evenly coated. Tip out any excess breadcrumbs.
• Making a thick white sauce: In a pan, melt the butter over a medium heat; stir in the flour and mustard. Cook, stirring, for 1 min. Take off the heat and gradually stir in the milk, mixing it in thoroughly before adding more. Return to the heat and stir continuously until very thick (around 10 mins). Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. Crack the eggs, placing the whites into a clean bowl and stirring the yolks into the sauce. Stir in cheddar and season well.
• Adding the egg whites: Use a clean whisk to beat the egg whites until peaks form that just hold their shape (electric is best as it will make the job much quicker). Then take a metal spoon and gently stir the whipped whites into the white sauce in a figure of eight.
• Top-hatting: Spoon the mixture into the dish. Run a cutlery knife around the edge to create a 'top hat' effect; this ensures the soufflé rises above the rim and doesn't stick. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 25-30 mins until the top is golden and risen and has a slight wobble. Serve immediately.
• EQUIPMENT: 15cm soufflé dish, saucepan, 2 large mixing bowls, wooden spoon, spatula, baking sheet, large metal spoon, measuring jug, grater, electric whisk, cutlery knife.

SOUFFLED MACARONI CHEESE

Steps:

• Begin by having all your ingredients weighed out and the cheeses grated. Fill a large saucepan with 4 pints (2.25 litres) of water containing a level dessertspoon of salt and put it on the heat to bring it up to the boil. Then, in a small saucepan, melt the butter over a gentle heat, add the onions and let them soften, without browning and uncovered, for 5 minutes. Then add the flour to the pan, stir it in to make a smooth paste, then gradually add the milk, a little at a time, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon. Then switch to a balloon whisk and keep whisking so you have a smooth sauce. Then add some salt and freshly milled black pepper, as well as the nutmeg, and leave the sauce to cook gently for 5 minutes. After that, turn off the heat and whisk in the mascarpone and egg yolks, followed by the Gruyère and half the Parmesan. Next place the baking dish in the oven to heat through, then drop the macaroni into the boiling water and, as soon as the water returns to a simmer, give it 4-6 minutes, until al dente (it's going to get a second cooking in the oven). When it has about 1 minute's cooking time left, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, you can watch how to do this in our Cookery School Video on this page. Drain the pasta in a colander, give it a quick shake to get rid of the water, then tip it back into the pan and stir in the cheese sauce, turning the pasta over in it so it is evenly coated. Then lightly fold in the egg whites, using a cutting and folding movement so as to retain as much air as possible. Remove the warm dish from the oven, pour the pasta mixture into it, give it a gentle shake to even the top, then scatter the reserved Parmesan over and return the dish to the oven on a high shelf for 12 minutes or until the top is puffy and lightly browned. Serve it, as they say in Italy, presto pronto.

MACARONI SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300*F. Bring a pan of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the macaroni until al dente, about 8 minutes.
• Melt the butter in a pan. Use a little of it to coat the inside of a 5 cup souffle dish. Coat evenly with the breadcrumbs, shaking out any excess.
• Heat the remaining butter in the pan and stir in the paprika and flour. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Gradually add the milk, stirring until the sauce boils and thickens. Add the grated cheeses, stirring until melted, then season well.
• Remove the pan from the heat, let the sauce cool slightly, then beat in the egg yolks. Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks and spoon 1/4 into the sauce mixture, beating it gently to loosen it up.
• Using a large metal spoon, carefully fold in the rest of the egg whites. Gently fold in the macaroni. Transfer the mixture to the prepared souffle dish. Bake in the center of the oven for about 40-45 minutes, until the souffle has risen and is golden brown. Make sure you serve this as soon as it is cooked or it will sink dramatically. The middle should wobble very slightly. Enjoy!