1 lb elbow macaroni (try to find the ridged variety)
2 lbs white VT cheddar (see note on cheese below), grated
4 cups whole milk, or, to really do yourself in, use 3 cup milk and 1 cup cream
4 tbsp flour
4 tsp butter (1/2 stick) Don't even THINK about margarine!
1 tsp. Coleman's dry mustard
several dashes Tabasco
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
Preheat oven 350° F. Butter a 9" x 13" baking dish. Cook elbows in vigorously boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water briefly, and place in baking dish.
Make bechamel: melt butter in heavy saucepan, over low heat. Add flour, and, using whisk, incorporate flour into butter until thoroughly amalgamated. Add Coleman's mustard and dashes tabasco and whisk some more.
SLOWLY add milk/cream, about 1/2 cup at a time, whisking all the way. Wait until the mixture thickens a bit before you add more milk. Stir constantly, esp. in the beginning, to avoid lumps. When all of the milk has been incorporated, allow to thicken a bit (should coat the back of a spoon).
With heat on very low, slowly (if you do not add the cheddar slowly, it will be stringy), add 1/2 the grated cheddar cheese, in small batches, stirring after each addition. Add several goodly grinds of black pepper, and correct seasonings, if necessary (may need another nip of tabasco). Pour cheese sauce over elbows, stir it around, then add remaining cheese, mixing some in with the pasta, and putting some right on top. Top with bread crumbs, dot with butter.
Bake at 350° F uncovered until bubbly and brown, approx 30 minutes. I like to very briefly run the pan under the broiler to get a nice browned crust.
Carolyn D.
(1/14/00)
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