Mac and cheese

Mise en place — set out in the order it goes in

1. 

   Cheddarcoarsely gratedStep 5

2. 

   MilkwarmedStep 4

3. 

   Butter and flourfor the rouxStep 3

4. 

   Paprika and Dijonthe colour and the brightnessStep 5

5. 

   Pastadrained, just shy of doneStep 6

Prep order — what happens when, and what overlaps

Start the roux when the pasta has a few minutes left, so the sauce and the elbows finish together.

Step by step

1. 

   1Grate, and warm the milk

   4 min

   For this step

   • Orange cheddar220 g
   • Whole milk400 ml

   • Coarsely grate the orange cheddar.
   • Warm the milk in a separate pan or the microwave until it is hot to the touch, not boiling.

   

2. 

   2Boil the elbows

   highper packet

   For this step

   • Elbow macaroni200 g
   • Salt, for the pasta water1 tbsp

   • Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, salt it, and cook the elbows until they are just shy of done — they finish in the sauce.
   • Drain, and keep a splash of the pasta water.

   

3. 

   3Pale roux

   medium2 min

   For this step

   • Butter30 g
   • Plain flour20 g

   • Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
   • Whisk in the flour and cook 1–2 minutes, until it smells like shortbread and stays pale blond.
   • If it starts to tan, take it off. A brown roux makes a tan sauce.

   

4. 

   4Milk in

   medium4 min

   • Whisk the warm milk in a splash at a time, smoothing out each splash before the next.
   • Simmer 3–4 minutes, whisking, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
   • It is still pale here. The orange comes in the next step.

   

5. 

   5Cheddar, paprika, Dijon

   heat off2 min

   For this step

   • Orange cheddar220 g
   • Sweet paprika1 tsp
   • Dijon mustard½ tsp
   • Black peppera pinch
   • Salt, to finish¼ tsp

   • Take the pan off the heat.
   • Stir the cheddar in by the handful until it melts glossy.
   • Stir in the sweet paprika, the Dijon and the pepper, then the finishing salt.
   • The sauce should be yellow-orange. If it is still cream-coloured, add another ½ tsp paprika. Do not boil it again — boiled cheddar turns grainy and oily.

   

6. 

   6Fold in the pasta

   1 min

   For this step

   • Elbow macaroni200 g

   • Tip the drained elbows into the sauce and fold until every piece is coated.
   • If it tightens, loosen it with a splash of the pasta water, not a ladle — a lot of water washes the colour out.
   • Serve at once. This is a stovetop sauce, not a bake.