French Cheese & Savoy Cabbage Mac n Cheese

French Cheese & Savoy Cabbage Mac n Cheese 

One of the greatest pleasures of San Francisco is that it offers EVERYTHING. Want your groceries delivered? No problem. Need to have bottles of wine taken to your house by a stranger? Got you. Techies bringing you your clean laundry after they've picked it up 24 hours prior? Yep. But another greatperk of San Francisco is the San Francisco Cheese School. Ladies and gentlemen, this is a real thing. There is an establishment dedicated to cheese in the bay, and it is one of my favorite play areas in the state. You get to taste cheese, taste wines, beers, and ciders, and eat/drink like no one is watching. Ladies and gentlemen, I have found my heaven. The SF Cheese School offers a variety of classes each week, ranging from Cheese 101 to East Coast v West Coast Cheese and Beer battles, to German wine and cheese pairing classes. I've been to about 7 and I will continue to go back because, well, A. I love cheese, and B. I love the people that present the classes and I love the people that work there. I will say my only qualm is that the classes they offer are usually on a weekday, which means I go into work the next day a biscuit hungover, but, you know, we make sacrifices for people and things we love, right?

The most recent SF Cheese School class I went to was called "Say cheese, please!", and was hosted by the charming Laura Werlin, a renowned James Beard award winning author on cheese. Laura was lovely and very knowledgeable about cheese and the different types of ways to cook and eat it! I went with a few coworkers after work and it was the perfect way to wind down after a long day. We were served four different kinds of mac and cheese throughout, while consistently being served various wines. It was phenomenal.

But let's get down to business. I want to talk about the mac and cheese that changed my life that night. This was the first one we tried, and I just could not. stop. eating. it! It was truly a moment where you know that your cooking game will change from that moment on and I want to share that secret with all of you: CRUNCH. Crunch in mac and cheese truly makes or breaks the dish for me. If there isn't a crunchy top, I probably don't want to have anything to do with it. Long gone are the days of Kraft Spongebob shaped macaroni cheese (although that stuff is hella tasty) - this shit is the real deal, my friends. The cabbage was a bit overcooked in my execution, so I suggest cooking it less so that it is crunchier. Other than that, this is the best mac and cheese I've ever made.

Laura Werlin explains the cabbage reasoning here: "I love to use savoy cabbage in combination with cheese, especially rich and full-flavored cheeses like the French ones called for here, and any starch, potatoes or pasta. Savoy is not bitter like its cabbage brethren, and it makes for a great textural and flavor contrast to the starch and dairy. Although readily available in most grocery stores these days, if you can’t find savoy, regular green cabbage makes a fine substitute."

I made this for Thanksgiving because Paul's son Kyle wanted some southern touches in the menu, and I was more than happy to step up for the occasion and make this. Screw all the others we tried - this stuff is no joke. Make it for yourself, and you'll be on board. Trust me! I apologize I have no photos, but literally that means that we SCARFED it down and I was too busy taking photos of the pies I was making.

Ingredients:
8 ounces medium shell pasta (or use orecchiette)
6 tablespoons salted butter
1 small baguette (about 12 inches; or use half a full-size baguette), made into bread crumbs
1 medium onion (about 8 ounces), coarsely chopped
1 large head savoy cabbage (about 1½ pounds), cored, large stems removed, and coarsely chopped (or use half of a regular green cabbage)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cups whole or reduced-fat milk
1 cup crème fraîche
12 ounces Comté cheese, coarsely grated (about 4 cups) (or use Gruyère)
8 ounces double-cream Brie cheese, rind removed and cut into ½-inch chunks (this is easiest to do if the cheese is cold)
4 ounces Roquefort cheese, broken into small chunks (or use other creamy but flavorful blue cheese)
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¹⁄8 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter an 8-inch square (1½-quart) baking dish or
pan (or six 8-ounce ramekins). Set aside.

2. Fill a 4- to 5-quart pot about three-quarters full with water and add 1 tablespoon of the salt. Bring to a boil and add the pasta. Cook, stirring once or twice, until tender but firm, 6 to 8 minutes, and drain. Reserve the pot.

3. While the pasta is cooking, in a medium skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Turn off the heat and add the bread crumbs. Stir until mixed well. Transfer to a small bowl and wipe out the skillet.

4. Using the same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cabbage and cook until the cabbage is tender and wilted, 5 to 7 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

5. Using the same pot you used to cook the pasta, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the flour and stir constantly until a paste forms, 30 to 45 seconds. Continue stirring for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the mixture starts to darken slightly and smell a bit nutty.

6. Slowly whisk in the milk, crème fraîche, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and cook until the mixture starts to thicken and is just beginning to bubble around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in 2½ cups of the Comté, Brie, Roquefort, cayenne, and nutmeg and stir until the sauce is smooth but not too runny. It should be similar in texture to cake batter. If it’s soupy, continue cooking until it thickens.

7. Add the pasta and cabbage mixture and stir to combine. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining 1½ cups Comté and sprinkle with the bread crumbs.

8. Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet and cook until bubbling and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.