SEATTLE — Does Edouardo Jordan need any introduction at this point? Now is the Seattle chef’s time: He’s got a pair of fresh James Beard Awards to top the pile of accolades accumulating around him of late, including a rare three-star review in The New York Times. His outspokenness about the issues surrounding race and the restaurant industry has arguably already begun to help change the game — his two Beard Awards came along with unprecedented recognition for other chefs of color. He’s just opened Lucinda Grain Bar, a bar and cafe that’s doubtless already as overrun as his wildly acclaimed Salare and JuneBaby. He’s even literally gotten his day: Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan proclaimed Nov. 28 Edouardo Jordan Day in perpetuity in the city.
His indomitable determination aside, all the mad success goes back, simply, to the power of Jordan’s food. And in short order, even something as simple as his macaroni and cheese has become legendary. Served in its own individual-sized cast-iron pan, it comes with a side of very thin slices of Newsom’s very famous ham (which, by the way, James Beard himself first popularized by lavishing it with praise back in the day).
Jordan’s macaroni and cheese is surpassingly rich, absurdly cheesy, deeply satisfying and somehow just better than other macaroni and cheese has ever come close to being. Turns out if you pester him long enough, he’ll give you the recipe, and that the secret ingredient — aside from massive proportions of cheddar — is the velvety texture and mushroomy-intense flavor of Camembert.
Once you have the recipe, you can make this mac ‘n’ cheese whenever you want — Jordan serves it Thursdays only, and only at his very-difficult-to-get-into JuneBaby. And when you can have this macaroni and cheese whenever you want, you can die happy, friend.
Edouardo Jordan’s Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese
Serves four (at least), more as a side
3 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni pasta
For the sauce:
3 tablespoons butter
1/4cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
1 cup sharp cheddar (shredded)
1 cup medium cheddar (shredded)
1/4cup Parmesan (shredded)
2/3 cup Camembert (cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
For the top:
1/2 cup sharp cheddar (shredded)
1/2 cup medium cheddar (shredded)
1/8 cup Parmesan (shredded)
To make the sauce:
1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, then stir in the flour and cook to make a blond roux.
2. Slowly add the milk and cream, whisking to avoid lumps, and bring to a simmer, stirring so it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
3. Once it has thickened properly, shut off heat and add all cheeses and the paprika.
4. Stir until cheese is completely incorporated.
5. Salt to taste.
For the pasta:
1. In a medium stock pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil; season generously with salt.
2. Add the pasta, and cook until tender.
3. Drain the water.
Bring it all together:
1. Let both the pasta and the sauce cool for about five to 10 minutes.
2. Combine the pasta and the sauce, and check again for salt.
3. Transfer the mixture to a medium casserole dish, and cover evenly with the cheese topping. (With all due respect to Edouardo Jordan, this is a “do as he does, not as he says” situation, so use the JuneBaby method for this step: Spread the mixture in a thin layer — not more than one or two noodles deep — in individual-sized cast-iron pans or in one large one, then cover evenly with the cheese topping. If you’re using one large pan, you might need to broil more than one batch; be sure to eat the first one before proceeding.)
4. Place under broiler until the cheese is melted. (Again, with apologies: Let the cheese get really brown, to the edge of burning.)
5. Serve.
