Waterfowler's Mac and Cheese

Name: Waterfowler's Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Ingredients: 10 unit Goose or duck hearts trimmed and quartered; 225 g Montréal smoked meat in chunks — even better if you find duck smoked meat; 150 g Bacon cut into small pieces; 1 unit Onion cut into brunoise; 1 unit Garlic clove minced; 750 g Macaroni cooked al dente, 1 to 2 minutes less than package directions; 225 g Sharp yellow cheddar shredded, plus extra for topping; 225 g Velveeta cubed — non-negotiable, it's what makes the texture; 60 ml Butter 4 tablespoons, for the roux; 60 ml All-purpose flour 4 tablespoons, unbleached; 354 ml Evaporated milk 1 standard can; 600 ml Red ale Boréale Rousse or St-Ambroise Pale Ale ideal; 30 ml Smoked paprika 2 tablespoons; 15 ml Québec Gorria pepper 1 tablespoon, or another local Espelette-style pepper

The mac and cheese you make after a day in the marsh.

Prep20 min

Cook40 min

Yield3 to 4 servings

DifficultyIntermediate

theuplandcook.com/en/recipes/waterfowlers-mac-cheese

Ingredients

Topping

10 — Goose or duck hearts (trimmed and quartered)
225 g — Montréal smoked meat (in chunks — even better if you find duck smoked meat)
150 g — Bacon (cut into small pieces)
1 — Onion (cut into brunoise)
1 — Garlic clove (minced)

Pasta

750 g — Macaroni (cooked al dente, 1 to 2 minutes less than package directions)

Cheese sauce

225 g — Sharp yellow cheddar (shredded, plus extra for topping)
225 g — Velveeta (cubed — non-negotiable, it's what makes the texture)
60 ml — Butter (4 tablespoons, for the roux)
60 ml — All-purpose flour (4 tablespoons, unbleached)
354 ml — Evaporated milk (1 standard can)
600 ml — Red ale (Boréale Rousse or St-Ambroise Pale Ale ideal)
30 ml — Smoked paprika (2 tablespoons)
15 ml — Québec Gorria pepper (1 tablespoon, or another local Espelette-style pepper)

Steps

01Prep the hearts and the topping
Trim the goose or duck hearts by removing the fatty vessels at the top, then quarter them. Dice the onion into brunoise (clean 3 mm cubes), cut the bacon into small lardons, and mince the garlic. Reserve everything in separate bowls.
02Sear the hearts with the bacon
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, render the bacon lardons for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the brunoise onion and the garlic, cook 2 minutes. Crank the heat to high and add the quartered hearts. Sear 2 to 3 minutes, stirring — you want good color but a pink center. Reserve in a large bowl.
03Cook the pasta al dente
Drop the macaroni into a large pot of salted boiling water, cutting 1 to 2 minutes off the package time. The pasta must stay clearly firm — it'll keep cooking in the oven later. Drain and reserve. Do not rinse.
04Build the roux
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour, smoked paprika and Gorria pepper. Whisk for 1 minute to cook the flour — you want it to lose its raw taste without browning. The paste should smell like warm biscuit.
05Loosen with beer and evaporated milk
Pour the evaporated milk and red ale into the roux, little by little, whisking hard to avoid lumps. Bring to a gentle boil while stirring constantly — the sauce will thicken progressively over 4 to 5 minutes. If you spot any lumps, strain the sauce through a fine sieve before continuing.
06Melt the two cheeses
Off the heat, add the shredded sharp cheddar and the Velveeta cubes. Stir gently until everything is melted and the sauce is smooth and glossy. If too thick, loosen with a splash of evaporated milk. Taste and adjust salt — careful, the smoked meat coming up is already salty.
07Assemble
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, cheese sauce, bacon-seared hearts, and Montréal smoked meat chunks. Fold gently with a wooden spoon. Transfer to a large buttered baking dish. Top generously with extra shredded cheddar.
08Bake and broil
Bake 20 minutes at 375°F. Switch to broil for 4 to 5 minutes, watching closely — you want a golden bubbling cheese crust, not burnt. Rest 5 minutes before serving: this lets the sauce set slightly so it doesn't run on the plate.