Month: January 2020

Cheeseboard Macaroni Cheese

350g pasta shapes [use a mixture of shapes]

2 tbsp. butter

2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp mustard powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

3 tbsp. plain flour

500ml whole milk

250g mix of cheeses [ Cheshire, cheddar and camembert]

extra hard cheese for the topping

Cook the pasta according to the pack instructions, drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan [ don’t burn it ], add the garlic and cook for a minute until softened, then add the mustard powder and cayenne pepper and cook for another minute more. Add the flour and stir to make a paste, cooking for about another minute. Take off the heat and gradually pour in the milk, a little at a time, whisking with every addition so the sauce doesn’t go lumpy. Return to the heat and cook for about 5 mins until thickened, then add the cheeses, stir until melted, and fold in the pasta. Heat oven to 180C. Tip the pasta into a baking dish, and top with some hard cheese such as cheddar or parmesan, season the top, salt and fresh black pepper and then bake for about 25 – 30 mins, until golden and bubbling. Allow to cool before serving.

 

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Turkey Fricassee

50g butter

100g chestnut or button mushrooms

1 tbsp plain flour

100ml white wine

200ml chicken stock [use an oxo cube]

150ml double cream

800g leftover turkey [or a mixture to include, ham, pork and chicken] cut into chunks

small bunch of parsley

Heat the butter in a deep frying pan or sauté pan until just sizzling [ don’t burn it ] , then add the mushrooms and fry for about 4-5 mins until softened. Sprinkle over the flour and stir until a paste forms. Cook for a few more minutes. Splash in the wine and let it bubble for a minute, then stir in the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in the cream. Season, then stir in the meat mixture. Simmer until the meat mixture is heated through, then remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Serve with pasta, mash or rice.

 

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