Shellfish Mac And Cheese

Shellfish mac and cheese – baked macaroni in a super silky sauce laced with flecks of sweet crab and succulent prawns.

Macaroni and cheese has been popular ever since Kraft put it in a box and sold it as a convenience product in 1937. It was around long before that though. Its roots are Italian and date back to the 14th century where recipes for pasta casseroles can be found in cookbooks written in latin.

We might never have heard of mac and cheese if not for American president Thomas Jefferson. Apparently he fell in love with the dish while traveling in northern Italy at the beginning of the 19th century and brought the recipe home with him.

Friends in the U.S tell me that as  kids they grew up on mac and cheese. Not so here in Ireland. I can remember as a young lad hearing references to it on the T.V and never really knowing what it was. I grew up on spuds, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The only pasta I was familiar with as a kid were the spaghetti hoops that came from a can.

This isn’t much of a surprise given the fact we only really started eating pasta in any significant quantities here in the early 90’s. Tagliatelle, penne, and rigatoni where all unheard of in this part of the world before than. Foreign foods whose names we had trouble pronouncing let alone eating.

My how things have changed. I bet pasta is eaten in most households at least once a week if not more. It’s so quick and handy when you’re hungry and need some food on the table a.s.a.p. Pass the dolmio.

Mac and cheese still isn’t as popular here as other pasta dishes like Carbonara or Bolognese. The best thing about the classic mac and cheese is that you can customise it to your own needs. You could do a veggie version with whatever’s in season. Or a meaty one with smoked chicken, pancetta, or chorizo.

My own favourite way to do a mac and cheese is to infuse a classic bechamel with english mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and chives. Than toss in the pasta along with a couple of handfuls of tender young  baby spinach leaves, crumble over some ripe Roquefort, and caramelize the whole concoction under a hot grill for a bowl of gooey goodness. Ideal when you’re craving comfort food.

Here I’m doing something a little different. Instead of using milk in my sauce I’ve used a mixture of shellfish stock and cream. Shellfish stock has a unique flavour that captures the essence of the sea, while the cream gives the sauce a silky richness.

You can than add any crustaceans you like to your intensely flavoured sauce. I opted for crab (both the claws and some meat) and Dublin bay prawns for the most expensive mac and cheese I’ve ever made. If you wanted to push the boat out further and your wallet can take the pressure than scallops or lobster would be a tasty addition.

The dish is finished by adding in the cooked pasta and a generous grating of parmesan before being baked in a hot oven. You could use cheddar, mozzarella, or Gruyère. All work well in mac and cheese but parmesan inherent saltiness works best with sweet shellfish.

Whats your favourite way to devour mac and cheese?

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