WSVN — When it comes to comfort food, there is nothing as American as the dish we’re featuring tonight. We’ll show you what’s cooking as we grab a Bite with Belkys.
The Chef: Chris Palmer
The Restaurant: American Social Bar & Restaurant in Brickell
The Dish: Mac & Cheese
Ingredients:
4 oz. Gruyère cheese-grated
9 oz. Vermont cheddar cheese, grated
5 oz. cream cheese, diced
4 oz. unsalted butter, diced
1 each yellow onion, julienned
8 oz. all-purpose flour
1 qt. whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
Method of Preparation:
– Put unsalted butter in a hot pan and let it melt. Add chopped vidalia or white onions and sauté for about five minutes.
– When they’re translucent, puree the onions with a hand blender to break them down. Then put them back on the stove and add flour. Blend well.
– Add whole milk and stir. When it’s blended, add more milk and bring it to a simmer. Add heavy cream and stir again. Make sure you get all the lumps out of the flour.
– To season, add a bundle of rosemary, oregano and thyme and simmer for another 20 minutes. Take out the herbs and add the cheeses, adding one at a time so each cheese has time to melt and incorporate into the sauce. First add Gruyère cheese. Then, Vermont cheddar and finally, cream cheese. Keep stirring!
– Instead of macaroni, Chef Chris uses orecchiette pasta. It takes about 8 to 9 minutes to cook. When it’s done, add it to the sauce and blend well.
– Add chopped rosemary, thyme, parsley, kosher salt and pepper.
– Put the Mac and Cheese in a casserole dish, add panko bread crumbs and put it under the broiler for a minute or so until it’s brown on top.
To Plate:
– Chef plates the Mac and Cheese with homemade pretzel bites
Serving suggestion: White American Pale Ale
Serves: 2
American Social Brickell
690 S.W. 1st Ct.
Miami, FL 33130
(786) 801-2466
http://americansocialbar.com/