Read Bobby Flay's Throwdown! Online
Authors: Bobby Flay
Bobby Flay's Throwdown! (14 page)
The delightful Delilah took my challenge, and the mac and cheese battle began. She certainly won over her hometown crowd! Our secret judges—Patrice Rames, chef-owner of Bistro St. Tropez, which specializes in comfort food, and Kevin Washington, owner of Ron’s Ribs, the oldest African American-owned restaurant in Philadelphia—had a hard time deciding; these were two very different styles of mac and cheese. While they loved Delilah’s, they fell for my presentation and crust and just felt mine had more cheese flavor…go figure. This Throwdown win might have been mine, but at the end of the day, we all know that the Mac ‘n’ Cheese Queen belongs on her well-deserved throne.
NOTE
We cut the yield and ingredients of Delilah’s recipe in half for home cooks, but the delicious proportions remain the same.
Macaroni and Cheese Carbonara
SERVES 4
Unsalted butter, for the baking dish
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (1-inch-thick) slice pancetta, cut into small dice
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 cups whole milk, or more if needed, hot
4 large egg yolks, lightly whisked
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups (8 ounces) grated Asiago cheese, plus more for the top
1½ cups (6 ounces) grated Irish white cheddar, plus more for the top
1½ cups (6 ounces) grated American cheddar, such as Goot Essa Mountain Valley, plus more for the top
1 cup (4 ounces) grated aged fontina cheese, plus more for the top
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for the top
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked just under al dente
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10 × 10 × 2-inch baking dish and set it aside.
2.
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
3.
Add the garlic to the fat in the pan and cook until light golden brown, 1 minute. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk, raise the heat to high, and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the eggs until incorporated and let cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the thyme, cayenne, and all the different cheeses until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper. If the mixture appears too thick, add additional warm milk, ¼ cup at a time.
4.
Put the cooked macaroni in a large bowl, add the cheese sauce, reserved pancetta, and the parsley, and stir until combined. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
5.
Combine an additional ¼ cup each of Asiago, cheddars, fontina, and Parmesan in a bowl, and sprinkle evenly over the top. Bake until the dish is heated through and the top is a light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Seven-Cheese Mac and Cheese
SERVES 8
Unsalted butter, for the baking dish
1 pound elbow macaroni
6 large eggs, at room temperature
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
½ cup (4 ounces) cubed Velveeta cheese
3 cups half-and-half, at room temperature
2½ cups (10 ounces) grated sharp yellow cheddar cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) grated extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
¾ cup (3 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup (2 ounces) grated Asiago cheese
½ cup (2 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese
½ cup (2 ounces) grated Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup (2 ounces) grated Muenster cheese Pinch of kosher salt, or to taste
1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly butter a 4-quart rectangular baking dish.
2.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until slightly al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain and set aside to keep warm.
3.
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until frothy. Add the butter, Velveeta, and 1 cup of the half-and-half. Add the warm macaroni and toss until the Velveeta has melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the remaining 2 cups half-and-half, 1½ cups of the yellow cheddar, the remaining cheeses, the salt, and the pepper. Toss until completely combined.
4.
Pour the mixture into the prepared dish, and bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup yellow cheddar and bake until golden brown on top, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.
Name: Mat Arnfeld
Establishment: A Salt & Battery
Hometown: New York, New York
Website:
www.asaltandbattery.com
Phone: (212) 691-2713
It was a taste of England with Mat Arnfeld and his award-winning fish and chips. The catch of the day? A Throwdown, of course!
New York City’s Greenwich Avenue is home to a growing ex-pat British population that craves the tastes of their old homeland. Ready to feed that craving with the best fish and chips outside of the U.K. is one of the most popular joints on the block, the restaurant A Salt & Battery. People are hooked on chef/owner Mat Arnfeld’s classic fish and chips because they are the “reel” deal.
Mat started flipping fish and chopping potatoes when he was just a kid back at this father’s chip shop in northern England. He has had plenty of years to develop his perfectly crispy battered and fried fish accompanied by tasty golden chips. (Yes, we’d call those chips French fries, but
don’t
do that at A Salt & Battery! To the Brits, they are chips. Period.) The batter is Mat’s secret to success; the combination of ingredients fry up to a crispy coating that retains its texture with every bite and stays crispy even when heaped with the preferred condiments of vinegar and Mat’s homemade tartar sauce.
