April 12, 2009
Mac and cheese attack
The humble dish is spiffed up by restaurants here with fancy versions boasting multiple cheeses
By Huang Lijie
The humble American comfort food of macaroni and cheese is making its warming presence felt in restaurants here.
It is available at at least five spiffy eateries and it has found ardent fans among Singaporean diners.
The unassuming ingredients used to make the dish - pasta and cheese sauce - renders it modest grub. Yet for chefs, its simplicity becomes a tempting blank canvas, a dish on which to put their distinctive culinary stamp.
Indeed, each of the five dining outlets serves its own take on the gooey treat.
American-style diner Seah Street Deli in Raffles Hotel, for example, offers the traditional all-cheddar version.
Guests who want a heartier meal, however, can opt for its meaty alternative, which comes with either chicken thigh or pork sausages.
Contemporary restaurant The White Rabbit in Harding Road, on the other hand, serves a decadent four-cheese creation using cheddar, Emmenthal, Parmesan and mascarpone cheeses. It is topped with truffle shavings and truffle oil.
At casual Western restaurant Spruce in Tanglin Road, the dish is made with three cheeses - Gruyere, Grana Padano and cream cheese - for a more complex taste.
On adding mac and cheese to its menu, executive chef Travis Masiero, 29, says: 'It is the most humble of dishes but when executed perfectly, can be truly amazing.'
He adds: 'I want people to have cravings for my food, and mac and cheese, being the ultimate comfort food, is one of those dishes people crave.'
The steakhouse Morton's of Chicago in the Mandarin Oriental hotel offers the dish baked with four types of cheeses: cheddar, Parmesan, cream and Swiss.
According to the restaurant's general manager, Mr Zyron Schoniwitz, its mac and cheese boasts the surprising addition of sambal oelek, an Indonesian chilli paste, 'for the slightest touch of heat'.
Bread crumbs are also sprinkled over the dish for a crisp crust.
He says the restaurant decided to experiment with the classic recipe because although 'the regular version is popular, it is still one-dimensional with a more mushy and creamy texture'.
He adds that while Morton's version is more sophisticated than the original fare, it manages to preserve the integrity of the dish and its comfort food quality.
At gourmet cheese shop La Fromagerie in Mohamed Sultan Road, mac and cheese is served as a complementary offering to highlight the cheese it retails.
La Fromagerie's director, Ms Edith Lai, 38, says: 'Everyone knows macaroni and cheese, it is a very familiar dish. It is also a very popular and easy-to-eat dish for children, which makes it a good introduction to cheese for the younger generation.'
She adds that the shop mixes Parmesan cheese with cheddar to give the dish 'a bit of sharpness and natural saltiness'.
The White Rabbit version is so popular that it averages 200 orders per month, according to the restaurant's spokesman.
Ms Lee Hanyi, 27, an art director in an advertising firm, who is a fan of its mac and cheese, says she has no qualms about tucking into the humble fare at a restaurant.
She says: 'People might think of mac and cheese as a cheap dish, but The White Rabbit offers a gourmet version with truffle shavings and truffle oil.
'And it is a great feeling to take a bite into the pasta and have melted cheese oozing in your mouth.'
For those eager to recreate the gooey goodness of macaroni and cheese from scratch, try the recipe below from steakhouse Morton's of Chicago. The recipe is in the cookbook Morton's The Cookbook, which will be launched by the restaurant in the middle of the year.
MACARONI AND CHEESE
340g dried cavatappi or other small, hollow, ridged pasta
1-1/2 tsp melted butter
4 Tbs finely diced yellow onion
1-1/4 cups heavy cream
170g sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
113g cream cheese, cut into small cubes
85g Parmesan cheese, grated
28g Swiss cheese, grated
1/2 Tbs chilli paste, such as sambal oelek
Kosher salt to taste
142g sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded
8 Tbs bread crumbs
METHOD:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 deg C.
2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente.
3. Drain but leave a little water on the pasta to keep it moist. Set aside 1/2 cup of the drained pasta water to thin the sauce later. Return the pasta to the cooking pot and cover to keep warm.
4. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and saute the onions for about a minute or until soft.
5. Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer.
6. Add the finely shredded cheddar, cream, Parmesan and Swiss cheeses and keep stirring until they melt and is fully incorporated into the cream.
7. Let the cheese sauce reach a simmer, then stir in the chilli paste.
8. Remove the sauce from the heat and using an immersion blender or hand-held electric mixer, beat the sauce for about 45 seconds until the cheese and onions are completely blended.
9. Thin the sauce with the set aside pasta water and mix well. Season to taste with salt.
10. Ladle the sauce over the pasta and mix well with a rubber spatula. Transfer the mixture to a deep, 1-litre baking dish and spread the pasta and cheese evenly. Sprinkle the coarsely shredded cheese over the casserole and top with bread crumbs.
11. Bake the dish for 20 to 25 minutes or until hot and bubbling around the edges. Serve immediately.
Serves six to eight
Get cheesy
Here are the places to head to if you want to satisfy your macaroni and cheese craving.
SPRUCE
Where: 320 Tanglin Road, Phoenix Park
Open: 10.30am to 10.30pm, weekdays, 8.30am to 10.30pm, weekends, tel: 6836-5528
What: The dish uses three types of cheese - Gruyere, Grana Padano and cream - for a more complex taste.
Price: $8
SEAH STREET DELI
Where: 1 Beach Road, Raffles Hotel, Open: 11am to 10pm, Sundays to Thursdays, 11am to 11pm, Fridays and Saturdays, tel: 6412-1819
What: A traditional take on the dish where extra-sharp American cheddar cheese is used. Diners looking for a heartier meal may add chicken or pork sausage.
Price: $10.90 (original) and $13.90 (with chicken thigh or pork sausage)
LA FROMAGERIE
Where: 5 Mohamed Sultan Road, 01-01
Open: 2 to 11pm, weekdays, closed on Mondays, 11am to 11pm, weekends, tel: 6732-6269
What: The simple yet tasty combination of Parmesan and cheddar cheese makes this mac and cheese a winner with both adults and children.
Price: $22
MORTON'S OF CHICAGO, THE STEAKHOUSE
Where: 5 Raffles Avenue, Marina Square, Mandarin Oriental Singapore, level four
Open: 5.30 to 11pm, Mondays to Saturdays, 5 to 10pm, Sundays, tel: 6339-3740
What: This version boasts four types of cheese - cheddar, Parmesan, cream and Swiss - a crisp bread crumb crust and a hint of sambal oelek, an Indonesian chilli paste.
Price: $22
THE WHITE RABBIT
Where: 39C Harding Road
Open: noon to 2.30pm and 6.30 to 10.30pm, weekdays, closed on Mondays, 11am to 2.30pm and 6.30 to 10.30pm, weekends, tel: 6473-9965
What: This four-cheese creation is made using cheddar, Parmesan, Emmenthal and mascarpone. And for a touch of luxe, it is finished off with truffle shavings and truffle oil.
Price: $28
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