Recipe - John Thornes Macaroni And Cheese

One half pound Elbow macaroni
4 tablespoon Unsalted butter;, cut into
bits
1 ds Tabasco sauce
1 cn (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 pound Sharp cheddar cheese;,
grated
2 lg Eggs;, beaten
1 teaspoon Dry mustard; dissolved in 1
tsp water
2 teaspoon Salt
Pepper
Toasted Bread Crumbs; (CI
version)
1 cup Fresh bread crumbs
1 pn Salt
1 One half tablespoon Unsalted butter;, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Boil the macaroni until just barely done in salted
water. Drain and toss with the butter in a large, ovenproof mixing bowl.
Mix the Tabasco into the evaporated milk. Reserving about 1/3 cup, stir the
milk into the macaroni, then add Three fourths of the cheese, the eggs and the
mustard. When well combined, season to taste with salt and pepper and set
the bowl in the oven. Every five minutes, remove it briefly to stir in some
of the reserved cheese, adding more evaporated milk as necessary to keep
the mixture moist and smooth. When all the cheese has been incorporated and
the mixture is nicely hot and creamy (which should take 20 minutes all
told), serve at once with a plate of toasted common crackers to crumble
over.

From Simple Cooking, 1987, ISBN 0670812129

Cook's Illustrated preparation variation:

Heat oven to 350F. Mix bread crumb ingredients together in small baking
pan. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 1520 minutes. Set aside

Meanwhile, mix eggs, 1 cup of the evaporated milk, pepper sauce, One half tsp.
of the salt, pepper and mustard mixture in a small bowl; set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 2 quarts water to boil in large heavybottomed saucepan or
Dutch oven. Add 1 One half tsp of the salt and macaroni; cook until almost
tender, but still a little firm to the bite. Drain and return to pan over
low heat. Add butter; toss to melt.

Pour egg mixture over buttered noodles along with threequarters of the
cheese (Cooks Illustrated calls for 12 ounce cheese instead of 1 full pound);
stir until thoroughly combined and cheese starts to melt. Gradually add
remaining milk and cheese, stirring constantly, until mixture is hot and
creamy, about 5 minutes (it took me 15 to 20 minutes, though I probably had
the heat too low. It seemed as if it would never thicken, then started to
all of a sudden.). Serve immediately topped with toasted bread crumbs.
Posted to FOODWINE Digest by rtf cmfrtf@FLASH.NET on Jan 6, 1998