Gordon Ramsay's Mac and Cheese

on

 

Ingredients
300g cauliflower florets
300g dried macaroni
60g butter, plus a few extra knobs
4 tablespoon plain flour
2 teaspoons English mustard powder
600 ml whole milk
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Sea salt, to taste
100 g mature Cheddar cheese, grated
100 g Lancashire cheese, crumbled
100 g Cheshire cheese, crumbled
3 tablespoons fresh white breadcrumbs
1 tablespoons thyme leaves


Directions

Bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil. Add the cauliflower and cook for 4–5 minutes until tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and refresh in a bowl of ice-cold water to prevent it from cooking any further. Drain well.

Tip the macaroni into the boiling salted water and cook until al dente, according to packet instructions. Drain, refresh under cold, running water and drain again. Mix the macaroni, cauliflower and a few knobs of butter together in a large bowl.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6 392° F. Heat the 60g butter in a pan, and stir in the flour and mustard powder to make a roux. Gradually add the milk, beating continuously with a balloon whisk until the mixture is smooth. Slowly bring to the boil over a low heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture thickens. Season well with cayenne pepper and sea salt to taste.

Mix the three cheeses together and stir half into the white sauce. Mix well until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth again. Add the macaroni and cauliflower to the sauce and mix well to coat. Spread the mixture into a large, wide gratin dish.

Combine the remaining cheeses with the breadcrumbs and thyme leaves. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cauliflower mixture. Bake for about 15–20 minutes until the topping is golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

Gordon Ramsay's Recipe

US Cheese Substitutes

The best US equivalents for crumbly Lancashire cheese are mild, high-moisture Feta (for texture and acidity), Wensleydale, or mild White Cheddar. Because Lancashire cheese is defined by its bright, slightly acidic bite and fragile, loose-curd texture, these substitutes replicate its performance in salads, pies, or on cheeseboards. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Top Alternatives

  • Feta (Rinsed): The closest direct texture match. Crumbly Lancashire shares a highly friable, chalky-yet-creamy structure with Greek or Danish feta. Tip: If your recipe is for a hot dish and feta seems too salty, soak it in cold water for 10–15 minutes and pat dry before crumbling. [1, 2]
  • Wensleydale: Like Lancashire, this is a traditional British milled-curd cheese. It provides a similarly mild, clean, and slightly tangy flavor. [2, 3, 6]
  • Mild White Cheddar: While denser, a mild or younger white cheddar mimics the lactic tang and can be broken into rough, crumbly chunks to substitute Lancashire in baked goods like quiches or cheese-and-onion pies. [4, 7, 8, 9]

Recipe-Specific Uses

  • For Salads & Crumbles: Use Feta or Wensleydale.
  • For Baking & Melting: Use a mild to medium White Cheddar. It will melt beautifully into pies while delivering the necessary dairy backbone. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10]
For further exploration, you can check out community and artisan resources on Reddit's Cooking Community or find award-winning British alternatives available to ship at Butlers Cheeses. [4, 10]
Are you planning to use the crumbled cheese in a cold dish/salad or in a baked recipe (like a cheese and onion pie)?







A roux is just the flour and butter (or oil). It becomes a béchamel when you add milk. It becomes a mornay sauce when you add cheese.

The best thing about cooking is that it is art that you can eat.

Comments

Post a Comment