Anthony Bourdain's Mac And Cheese Gets A Flavor Boost From One Ingredient

Macaroni and cheese is a comfort food classic. On frigid evenings, homemade baked mac and cheese beats out even the best boxed mac and cheese brands. The hearty noodles, gooey sauce, and melted blend of cheeses make for a staple side dish, and are filling enough to star as a standalone main course. The pasta dish also regularly provokes controversy: To top with bread crumbs or an extra layer of shredded cheese? Do you start with a roux? Should you use basic elbow macaroni or dig into the ridges of curly cavatappi to soak up the sauce? Perhaps most disputed are the array of mix-ins some chefs add to their macaroni and cheese. 

Anthony Bourdain's mac and cheese recipe is adamantly devoid of trendy trappings like truffle oil or lobster, which the chef asserted would not benefit the dish. Bourdain's version does, however, get smoky, sweet flavor from the addition of a basic protein: ham. Bourdain recommended ham that is julienned, meaning cut into thin strips.

Make the best macaroni and cheese

Anthony Bourdain's macaroni and cheese recipe instructs to add the sliced, cooked ham to the cheese sauce before baking. The strips of meat will be evenly dispersed among the noodles and hot, bubbly cheese. Much like mac and cheese sprinkled with crispy bits of bacon, mac and cheese dotted with ham boasts extra savory flavor that offsets the creamy cheese sauce. 

Bourdain's take on macaroni and cheese also includes a few other kitchen staples that contribute savory complexity: mustard powder (a pantry must-have that can even boost boxed macaroni) and Worcestershire sauce. Mustard powder, a condiment made from ground mustard seeds, provides dishes like deviled eggs or pasta with depth and heat. Worcestershire sauce, the liquid with the tongue-twister name, is a fermented condiment composed of molasses, tamarind, onion, garlic, anchovies, and sugar. The sauce adds a layer of umami richness to meats and marinades, and is even featured in many bloody mary recipes. 

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