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John Whaite’s Crab & Sriracha Mac ’n’ Cheese

Macaroni cheese has to be up there with everyone's favourite comfort foods. This recipe from John Whaite is enriched with crabmeat and spiced with mustard, Asian chilli sauce and cayenne for maximum flavour.

15 minutes prep, 1 hour cook

Serves 6

Ingredients

400g macaroni

100g butter

100g plain flour

500ml milk

500ml chicken stock

150g Gruyere, finely grated

150g strong Cheddar, finely grated

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

6 tbsps sriracha sauce, plus extra to serve

1 tsp cayenne pepper

300g white crabmeat

2 tbsps chopped flatleaf parsley

25g breadcrumbs

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Cook the macaroni according to the packet instructions, then drain and set aside. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6.

Heat the butter in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat until the butter melts, then stir in the flour using a wooden spoon to make a very thick paste. Allow the paste to cook for a minute until browned slightly, then beat in a ladleful of milk – it will get quickly absorbed, so repeat. When you’ve added all the milk, switch to a whisk and add the stock, a little at a time, whisking to avoid any lumps. As soon as the liquids are incorporated, add the cheeses, reserving a little to sprinkle on top, along with the mustard, sriracha and cayenne pepper. Reduce the heat to a simmer for 10 minutes, then season to taste, remembering that when you add the pasta the seasoning will be diluted, so over-season.

Add the crabmeat, parsley and macaroni to the sauce to combine well and tip into a mediumsized roasting dish. Sprinkle over the reserved cheese and the breadcrumbs and bake for 25–30 minutes until hot and bubbling.