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When it comes to the ultimate comfort food, it's hard to think of anything more satisfying than good old mac and cheese. However, chef Marcus Samuelsson of Food Network fame revealed that the real secret to taking mac and cheese to the next level is adding collard greens.
In an exclusive talk with Chowhound at the fifth anniversary celebration of Marcus Fish + Chop House and the grand opening of Vibe BBQ by Marcus Samuelsson at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, the chef said that collard greens are one of his favorite mac and cheese additions. He believes they're one of the many ingredients that will seriously upgrade your mac and cheese, as they give the dish a unique bite and prevent it from becoming overly heavy. But that doesn't mean it's not still mac and cheese. "You should have that almost macaroni bake on top and then get that cheese pull that my son is always looking for," he explains.
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Don't use raw collard greens in your mac and cheese
For his signature mac and greens, served at New York City's Red Rooster, Marcus Samuelsson first cooks the collard greens rather than just adding them raw. Cooking the collard greens is important because raw collard greens are tough, bitter, and difficult to chew and digest because they're very fibrous. Acid (such as vinegar or lemon juice) can fix the bitter taste of collard greens, while heat helps break down the rigid cell walls. As such, Samuelsson recommends being generous with the vinegar when cooking the greens.
The chef also recommends eschewing a mac and cheese rule you may have followed your whole life. "You're actually not looking for al dente pasta. That's like one. You can cook them through," he advises. He also folds the cooked greens into the dish before it goes in. It only takes about half an hour inside a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven. Samuelsson says you'll know your mac and cheese is ready when it has a golden, baked crust on top while remaining creamy enough to deliver a satisfying cheese pull. Though you might skip the breadcrumbs and give mac and cheese a crunchy finish with Cheez-It crackers. Or if you'd like to follow Samuelsson's recipe, you can find it in his 2016 ode to Harlem, "The Red Rooster Cookbook," available on Amazon. Either way, adding collard greens to your mac and cheese is an unexpected twist that's surprisingly delicious.
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Read the original article on Chowhound.
