Anthony Bourdain used to add one kitchen cupboard staple to his mac and cheese – it’s genius (Image: Ellen Jenne)
They say you should never mess with the classics, but sometimes you have to take a risk. One dish you should be watchful of is pasta, for fear of upsetting Italians.
Then I saw an article on Simply Recipes that suggested one store cupboard staple is the key to taking a staple midweek meal to the next level. The recommendation for a simple macaroni cheese came from the late, legendary chef Anthony Bourdain. Get rid of any of those fancy additions – like truffle oil – and turn your attention to Worcestershire sauce.
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Bourdain’s secret ingredient is Worcestershire Sauce (Image: Ellen Jenne)
Candace Nagy from Simply Recipes explained she never makes a mac and cheese without it, saying it adds “big flavour to a dish with minimal effort”. Candace wrote: “While you may have been expecting something more exciting, I promise you that it does not disappoint.”
As an ardent pasta lover, I shared the same concern I’m sure many people have. However, I’ll try anything once.
Of course, there’s no other brand to use than Lea and Perrins. It’s one of those sauces that everyone has hidden at the back of their cupboard, so it shouldn’t be hard to find.
Bourdain pairs the addition of Worcestershire sauce with a sprinkling of cayenne pepper and mustard powder. I worried the potent spices would drown out the sauce, especially since the recipe only called for a mere teaspoon.
Mac and cheese pairs two of my favourite ingredients, so what could go wrong? Jazzing up the dish doesn’t take Cordon Bleu training, it’s really that simple.
The sauce is paired with cayenne pepper and a dash of mustard powder (Image: Ellen Jenne)
At the end of slaving over the copious amounts of bechamel sauce, I added one teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce along with the cayenne pepper and mustard powder.
I resisted the temptation to add more sauce out of fear of ruining the perfectly balanced dish. All it takes is 20 minutes in the oven to complete.
Simply Recipes argued that when Worcestershire sauce is added to the pasta dish it can help “enhance the savoriness of the cheese, giving it a delicate, smoky, and almost meaty flavour”. And I hate to admit it, but they were correct.
The sauce’s saltiness and umami notes only intensified the cheesiness of the sauce, leaving a slight hint of salt but clearly Worcestershire flavour. It offers a tang different from ones you’d get from a mature cheese, cutting through it with a sharp vinegar-like taste.
It doesn’t disrupt or muddle any of the flavours you’d expect from a classic mac and cheese. The addition of Worcestershire sauce also works beautifully with the slight heat from the cayenne and mustard, without either one overpowering the other. It lingers in the background offering a warming, comforting mouthful.
The Worcestershire sauce helps intensify the flavour of the cheese (Image: Ellen Jenne)
I’ve shared Bourdain’s recipe below, but my lord, don’t feel obliged to follow it. There’s no less than four different types of cheeses in it.
It’s more luxurious than your typical midweek meal. Although I followed the directions, I freestyled on the additions to the mac and cheese, leaving out the Parmigiano-Reggiano and Gruyere, as well as the ham.
But if you have a trusty mac and cheese recipe you know and love and won’t ever mess up, the beauty of Bourdain’s hack is that it can literally be added to anything. There’s no need to change the method of a tried and tested recipe.
Whenever it comes to making your bechamel, simply add a teaspoon right at the end. If it’s good enough for the late, great Anthony Bourdain, it’s certainly good enough for me.
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Anthony Bourdain’s Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1lb/450g dry elbow macaroni
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter
- 5 tbsp all-purpose/plain flour
- 1060ml whole milk
- 2 tsp mustard powder
- 2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 250g Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
- 113g Gruyère cheese, grated
- 141g sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 85g fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
- 113g cooked and thinly sliced ham, julienned (optional)
- 2 tsp salt, or more to taste freshly ground white pepper to taste (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 375℉/190℃. In a large, heavy-bottom pot, bring salted water to a boil and add the elbow macaroni. Cook according to the package instructions until just al dente, then drain and set aside.
In the still-hot macaroni pot, heat the butter over medium-high heat until it foams and subsides. Whisk in the flour, then switch to a wooden spoon and stir steadily over medium-high heat until the mixture begins to turn a nutty golden brown, about two minutes. Do not let the mixture scorch.
Whisk in the milk and bring the mixture just to a boil, stirring with the wooden spoon and making sure to scrape each part of the surface of the pan so that hunks of flour or milk do not stick. Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook and stir until the mixture is slightly thicker than heavy (double) cream.
Whisk in the mustard powder, cayenne, and Worcestershire, then add half the Parmigiano-Reggiano (you’ll sprinkle the rest over the top) and the rest of the cheeses and, if using, the ham, and stir until the cheeses have melted completely. Stir in the cooked macaroni and mix well. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt and optional pepper.
Transfer the mixture to a glass or ceramic casserole, top with the remaining Parmigiano, and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the mixture is bubbling slightly.
Serve hot, or refrigerate and gently reheat the whole thing, or in portions as needed.
