Wild greens macaroni and cheese

For me, mac ‘n cheese is absolute comfort food. But over the years, I have grown to recognise what makes a good Mac ‘n cheese. Here are my criteria: It has to be baked, not just tossed in a pan. It has to have a crust, usually bread crumbs and cheese, but anything crunchy works. And finally, lots of great cheese. We have lots of wonderful cheese in the world, easily available. Let’s use them to make great dishes.

I believe that Mac 'n cheese is an open palate for a great chef to highlight their skills. This means no more boring Mac ‘n cheese, but filled with something delicious inside—meat, sausages, vegetables, as in this recipe, a blend of amazing cheeses, or anything the chef desires. A good Mac 'n cheese pops with flavour and must stand out.

This Mac ‘n cheese was no exception. A blend of flavorful cheeses, Swiss Gruyere, Italian pecorino, English mature cheddar and Greek feta give the roux a pop of cheesy goodness. For the greens, in this case, I used spinach, local gongura leaves for sourness and local fenugreek leaves (methi) for bitterness.

Maria Elia is one of my favourite chefs and cookbook authors. I have all her books; this one stands out for authentic and modern Greek flavours, like this dish. This book results from her experimentation at her father's tavern in the Troodos mountains of Cyprus. It combines traditional recipes from visiting villages and being allowed into the local kitchens. However, the other recipes are her interpretations of traditional Greek dishes with a modern twist. The book is packed with folklore and knowledge, and every recipe I have cooked from here is outstanding. This is probably my favourite Greek cookbook on my shelf.

For more recipes from this amazing cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

3 lbs mixed greens of iced flavors :mild (spinach, chard, or their), sour (sorrel, gongura, or other), and bitter (arugula, dandelion, methi or other)

9 oz elbow macaroni

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 spring onions, or shallots, sliced

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 1/2 cups milk

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

A generous pinch of nutmeg

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, glared or cut into small cubes

1 cup pecorino cheese, grated or cut into small cubes

1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated or cut into small cubes

1/3 cup dress dill, mined

Breadcrumbs

1/2 cup crumbled feta

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Clean the greens and remove any tough stems. Wash thoroughly in 3 changes of water.

Heat a pot of water large enough to hold all the greens. Bring to a boil and blanch the greens for 1 minute. They should be bright green in colour; if you overcook them, they will turn unappetising grey. Drain the greens through a fine mesh colander, saving the water. Cool under cold water to stop the cooking.

Cook the pasta according to the packet directions, less than 1 minute in the water used to cook the greens, plus add more water as needed. Drain and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the butter and olive oil on low. Add the scallions/shallots and some salt and sauté till the onions are soft. Keep the flame low, you do not want the onions to change color. Add the flour and continue sautéing till the flour is a light golden color, about 1 minute. Add the milk (the best method for making a béchamel is to add all the milk at once cold) and whisk till smooth. The sauce will thicken as the milk heats up till it coats a spoon evenly. Add the cheese (except feta), cinnamon, nutmeg and dill. Cook stirring continuously till all the cheese is melted. Please resist the urge to turn up the heat to melt the cheese faster; the cheese can split, leaving you with an oily mess. Taste and adjust salt.

You can now proceed in two ways.

The simple method:

Finely mince the blanched greens and mix them into the roux. Add the cooked pasta and toss well. Layer the mixture into a Pyrex dish (2 quart) and top with breadcrumbs and feta cheese.

Method for striped pasta:

Separate the béchamel into two bowls. Add the minced greens to one and mix well. Add half the pasta to each bowl. Have ready 3 (or as many stripes as you want minus 1; I usually have four stripes) of foil that measure the width of a Pyrex dish. Hold a piece of the foil about 1/4 from the top edge and fill it with one of the pasta. Hold a second piece of foil 1/2 way down the dish (if making four stripes) and fill it with the other pasta. Continue this until the pasta is finished and you have four stripes. Remove the foil and pat the pasta down to pack firmly. Top with breadcrumbs and feta cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the centre bubbles and the top well browned.

Allow to sit for 5 minutes and serve.