Macaroni Cheese with Leeks and Onions

Name: Macaroni Cheese with Leeks and Onions
Yield: Serves 4–6
Cuisine: United Kingdom
Ingredients: 600 ml (1 pint) Chicken Stock; 1 small garlic clove, crushed; 25 g (1 oz) unsalted butter; 300 ml (10 fl oz) dry white wine; 1 sprig of fresh thyme; 1 onion, chopped; 1 carrot, chopped; 2 celery sticks, chopped; 1 leek, chopped; 1 teaspoon English mustard (optional); 50 g (2 oz) plain flour; 750 ml (1¼ pints) milk; 150 ml (5 fl oz) double cream; 350 g (12 oz) dried or fresh macaroni; Salt; 2 tablespoons olive oil (optional); 100 g (4 oz) mature Cheddar, grated; 50 g (2 oz) unsalted butter; 3 onions, sliced; 350 g (12 oz) leeks, shredded; 350 g (12 oz) dried or fresh macaroni

Preparation info

Serves
4–6

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Rhodes Around Britain

By Gary Rhodes

Published 1994

About

We all know macaroni cheese, it’s a family classic. The simple version of this recipe can be used as a vegetarian dish, but I will give a non-vegetarian alternative which I think takes it to new heights. I serve this particular version with Boiled Bacon in place of the barley stew.

Ingredients

50 g (2 oz) unsalted butter
3 onions, sliced

Europe
United Kingdom
Main course

Method

To make the reduction, cook all the chopped vegetables in butter with a lid on for 10 minutes with the garlic and thyme. Add the white wine and boil until reduced by two-thirds. Add the chicken stock and continue to boil until reduced by half. Keep to one side.

To start the sauce, melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes. Warm the milk in a sep