At Bourbon Steak in Georgetown’s Four Seasons hotel, celebrity chef/restaurateur Michael Mina’s macaroni and cheese is a far cry from the blue-box variety you grew up on; there’s no electric-orange powder in his recipe.
Mina’s version of macaroni and cheese—one of his top-selling sides—is made with heavy cream, three kinds of cheese, and a dash of white-truffle oil. “It fits the scene, satisfies the carb craving, and is luxurious yet homey,” says executive chef David Varley.
One reader, who relocated from Washington to Ohio, wrote in to request the recipe. “It’s the best macaroni and cheese I’ve ever had, and I’m nowhere near a Bourbon Steak,” she pleaded (Mina’s three other Bourbon Steaks are in Detroit, Miami, and Scottsdale).
Want to try making it at home? It’s easy enough to cook the pasta. The real trick is making the sauce. “It takes time to make properly and must be seasoned perfectly before the cheeses and truffle oil are added,” says Varley. “So keep tasting and adjusting.”
Have a restaurant recipe you’d like sniffed out? E-mail recipesleuth@washingtonian.com.
Bourbon Steak’s Truffle Macaroni and Cheese
Makes 4 servings.
1 pound dried macaroni
2 tablespoons Canola oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, smashed
5 sprigs thyme
3 tablespoons flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
3 ounces Asiago cheese, grated
2 ounces Parmesan cheese
1 ounce crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon white-truffle oil
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the macaroni according to the package’s instructions. Rinse in cool water. Set aside.
Add the Canola oil to a 3-quart pot. Set it over medium heat and sweat the onion, garlic, and thyme for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the onions are transparent. Stir in the flour and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer very gently for about 15 minutes.
Whisk the cream into the sauce and let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until it starts to thicken. Strain the sauce, discarding the onion, garlic, and thyme. Whisk in the 3 cheeses while the sauce is still warm. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In a large pot over medium heat, combine the sauce and the macaroni. Just before serving, stir in the white-truffle oil.
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