BLACK TRUFFLE MAC AND CHEESE (HANGOVER GRILLED CHEESE)

Black Truffle Mac and Cheese (Hangover Grilled Cheese) image

Provided by Food Network

Time 1h

Yield 1 serving, plus additional mac and cheese

Number Of Ingredients 17

Previous Next

One 8-ounce bottle black truffle oil
1 1/2 cups minced shallots
3/4 cup minced fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups minced garlic
3 tablespoons vegetable base
2 1/3 cups chardonnay wine
1 cup all-purpose flour
Six 32-ounce cartons heavy cream
3 pounds mixed cheese (3 to 4 types), such as fontina and Swiss
4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
Salt
5 pounds elbow pasta
Olive oil, for tossing with pasta
Two 1-ounce slices white Cheddar
Cooked lobster meat, optional
2 slices sourdough bread
Clarified butter, for grilling

Steps:

For the mac and cheese: Heat the truffle oil in a large pot over low heat. Add the shallots and thyme and cook until the shallots are golden. Add the garlic and continue cooking until golden. Add the vegetable base and stir. Add the wine and cook until reduced, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the flour slowly, stirring, until a thick paste forms. Add the cream and simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the mixed cheese (except for the Parmesan and Cheddar) slowly while stirring. Once all the cheese is in, you will begin to see a nice sauce come to life. Continue to cook, stirring, about 15 minutes. Add the Parmesan at the very end. This cheese is like glue; it holds the sauce and the pasta together.
While the cheese sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water with 1/4 cup salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and add a touch of olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking. The pasta is now ready to soak up the cheese sauce. Return the pasta to the pot and stir in the cheese sauce.
For the sandwich: Preheat a flattop to 350 degrees F.
Place the Cheddar slices and lobster if using in between the bread slices and close the sandwich. Ladle some clarified butter onto the flattop. Place the sandwich on the flattop and cook until the bread is golden and crisp and the cheese is melted. Flip and cook until golden on the other side. Open the bread and stuff with a heaping serving spoon of the mac and cheese. Close the sandwich, cut and serve.