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How to Make Macaroni and Cheese

How to Make Macaroni and Cheese

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Todd Gray
Executive Chef/Co-Owner, Equinox
http://www.equinoxrestaurant.com  
202-331-8118

Since opening Equinox in 1999 to universal acclaim, Todd Gray has emerged as one of the surest culinary talents in the nation's capital, as well as a tireless champion of sustainable farming and fishing practices, and a passionate promoter of local, mid-Atlantic foods. Gray practices what he preaches every day, and Equinox is widely acclaimed as an oasis of sophisticated yet unpretentious seasonal cuisine.

With an artist's vision of the beauty in both his raw ingredients and his finished plates, classical training in culinary techniques gained in DC's top French and Italian kitchens, and a down-home Virginia boy's appreciation for food that just plain tastes good, Todd Gray is the culinary mastermind of Equinox, infusing the atmosphere with his passion for the bounty of the Mid-Atlantic. Todd continues to work with local farmers developing food of all varieties, form lettuce to beef, taking personal stock in the animals and produce being raised.

Gray's cooking has earned him five nominations for the prestigious Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic award from the James Beard Foundation. He also is a four-time nominee for Chef of the Year from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. Equinox has consistently been rated one of the city's top restaurants by many local publications, and has appeared on numerous "best of" lists in national epicurean magazines. Equinox has achieved Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence six years in a row, and is consistantly recognized with the Award of Excellence from the Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRoNa). Todd has also just received a nomination for Chef of the year through the RAMW for 2008

How to Make Macaroni and Cheese

This video series will show how to make macaroni and cheese. In this video, Equinox's Todd Gray shows how to put a new twist on a classic.

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Sauce

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Mac

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Cheese

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Macaroni

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Cheddar

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White

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Butter

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Roux

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Boil

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Diner

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Lunch

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How to Make Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

 

1 lb Fusilli or Macaroni Pasta

1 gal Water, salted and boiling

2 Tbs Butter

2 Tbs Flour

4 c Milk

4 c Vermont Cheddar Cheese, grated

¼ c Parmesan Cheese, grated

½ c Bread Crumbs

tt Salt & Pepper

Instructions

1. Cook pasta in boiling water until tender, approximately 8-10 minutes, and refresh under cool water. 


2. Combine flour and butter in a small saucepot and cook to form a roux (a paste that will act as a thickening agent). 


3. Add milk and whisk vigorously (this is called a béchamel).  Do not boil!


4. Add the cheddar cheese and stir until all is incorporated. 


5. Mix pasta into sauce, season with salt and pepper and pour into a baking dish or casserole.


6. Sprinkle with parmesan and breadcrumbs and bake in a 350-degree oven until golden brown, approximately 15-20 minutes.  Serve immediately.

 

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Transcripts

Todd Gray: Hi, I am Todd Gray from Equinox restaurant. Today I am going to be preparing for you home made Macaroni and Cheese, definitely a family favorite of ours. I am going to take you step by step through todays process. We are going to teach you how to par-cook our pasta. We are going to show you how to make a cheese sauce and finally we are going to show you how to finish the dish with the white cheddar cheese and Brioche bread crumbs.

We are going to need some fundamental tools to do our Macaroni and Cheese today. We are going to need a large pot for boiling our pasta, a smaller pot for making our cheese sauce, a stainless steel mixing bowl, a rubber spatula and a couple of oven proof baking dishes. The ingredients for the Macaroni and Cheese are, one box of elbow macaroni, four tablespoons of whole butter, four tablespoons of all purpose flour, two cups of whole milk, two cups of white cheddar cheese and one cup of Brioche bread crumbs. Remember, when in the kitchen always practice safety first, being careful of open flames and hot handles, always using a side towel or oven proof mitt to help handles those hot pots. In 1999, my wife Allen and I opened Equinox restaurant. We have enjoyed many great accolades over the nine years including four nominations by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington for Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year and we are named best new restaurant by Esquire, Town and Country and Gourmet magazines. I have been fortunate enough to receive five nominations by the James Beard Foundation for best chef Mid-Atlantic and as well as nominated for Chef of the Year six times by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.

Let's get started on our macaroni and cheese.

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