The Hairy Bikers' crayfish macaroni cheese recipe
- 100 g (3.5oz) butter, plus extra for greasing
- 250 g (8.8oz) dried macaroni or other short pasta shapes
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 50 g (1.8oz) chorizo or andouille sausage, skinned and diced
- 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper
- 0.5 tsp paprika
- 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
- 50 g (1.8oz) plain flour
- 600 ml (21.1fl oz) milk
- 75 g (2.6oz) mature Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
- 75 g (2.6oz) Gruyere, coarsely grated
- 25 g (0.9oz) dry white breadcrumbs
- 300 g (10.6oz) peeled and cooked crayfish tails, thawed if frozen
- Rub a little butter over the inside of a roughly 1.7 litre shallow ovenproof dish to grease.
- Preheat the oven to 210C/190C fan/gas.
- Half fill a large saucepan with water and bring to the boil.
- As soon as the water comes to the boil, add the pasta and stir well.
- Return to the boil and cook for 8-10 minutes or until almost tender then drain.
- While the pasta is prepared, put the butter in a large non-stick saucepan and melt over a low heat.
- As soon as the butter has melted, take the pan off the heat.
- Pour three tablespoons of the butter into a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
- Return the pan to the heat and add the chopped onion and diced sausage.
- Cook over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until the onion is well softened and the sausage has begun to release its fat.
- Stir in the cayenne, paprika, nutmeg and flour until well combined with the butter.
- Slowly add the milk, stirring well between each addition.
- When all the milk has been added, bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly until the sauce is thick but pourable (a bit like proper custard).
- Add a little extra milk if the sauce seems too thick.
- Mix the grated cheeses together and add 100g to the sauce.
- Stir over a low heat until melted.
- Season the sauce well with salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix the rest of the cheese with the breadcrumbs and melted butter.
- Stir the crayfish tails and drained pasta into the cheese sauce and mix well.
- Tip into the buttered dish and sprinkle with the breadcrumb gratin mixture.
- Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.
- Serve hot with salad.
butter, macaroni, onion, andouille sausage, cayenne pepper, paprika, ground nutmeg, flour, cheddar cheese, gruyere, white breadcrumbs, crayfish tails
Taken from www.lovefood.com/guide/recipes/16912/the-hairy-bikers-crayfish-macaroni-cheese-recipe (may not work)