Truffled Macaroni Gratin with Aged Comté

⏱ 55 min · Serves 4

A grown-up mac and cheese: silky béchamel enriched with 24-month Comté, laced with black truffle and a whisper of nutmeg, then baked under a crisp panko-parmesan crust. Deeply savoury, nutty and fragrant — comfort food in black tie.

Per serving: 942 kcal · 40.0g protein · 74.0g carbs · 53.0g fat

Ingredients

• 300g macaroni or short tubular pasta
• 60g unsalted butter
• 45g plain flour
• 700ml whole milk, warmed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small shallot, halved
• 200g aged Comté (24-month), coarsely grated
• 40g Parmesan, finely grated
• 100ml double cream
• 2 tbsp black truffle paste (or 1 tbsp truffle oil, to taste)
• 10g fresh black truffle, shaved (optional)
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
• Sea salt and white pepper
• 50g panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp chopped chives, to finish

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan. Warm the milk with the bay leaf and shallot halves for 5 minutes, then discard the aromatics.
2. Boil the pasta in well-salted water for 2 minutes less than the packet says — it should be very al dente. Drain and toss with a drop of oil.
3. Melt the butter in a large pan, stir in the flour and cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes until sandy and smelling biscuity.
4. Whisk in the infused milk a ladle at a time until smooth. Simmer gently for 5-6 minutes, stirring, until it coats the back of a spoon.
5. Off the heat, stir in the cream, Dijon, 170g of the Comté and half the Parmesan until glossy. Season with salt, white pepper and plenty of nutmeg.
6. Stir through the truffle paste, taste, and adjust — it should be perfumed, not perfumey.
7. Fold the pasta into the sauce and tip into a buttered gratin dish. Scatter over the remaining Comté.
8. Toss the panko with the olive oil and remaining Parmesan and scatter over the top.
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbling at the edges and deeply golden. Rest 5 minutes.
10. Shave over fresh truffle if using, scatter with chives and serve with a sharp green salad.