Mac & Truffle Cheese

This is a good one to do after the poule au pot. The extra chicken broth is perfect for reducing into a syrupy glaze and topping this luxurious Robuchon mac and cheese!

500 ml chicken stock

300 ml whole milk

3 tblsp sea salt

3 tbsp EVOO

large macaroni (zitoni)

3 tblsp truffle butter

100 gr gruyere

chopped chives

fresh ground white pepper

black truffles, or best quality forest mushrooms

truffle butter

60 gr unsalted butter, room temperature

10-15 gr of chopped truffle (preferably the real deal, or else the stuff in a jar)

1 tsp coarse sea salt

1. make truffle butter by combining the ingredients, transferring to a ramekin, covering securely
2. reduce chicken stock to a nice syrupy glaze (125 ml); transfer liquid to a double boiler and set over simmering water; cover and keep warm
3. bring 3 liters of water, the milk, salt and EVOO to a gentle simmer over moderate heat in a pasta pan; be careful that the liquid does not boil over
4. add the macaroni and cook until just tender, about 7 minutes; put macaroni in a colander with a slotted spoon so that they do not break or tear; eliminate as much as the pasta water as possible; reserve the cooking water
5. in a large non-stick pan, melt the truffle butter over moderate heat; when melted add the macaroni again taking care not to break the pasta; add a few ladlefuls of the cooking water to create a sauce; sprinkle gruyere evenly over the macaroni and cook, without turning, for 2 minutes
6. transfer macaroni to warmed plates, season with pepper (try not to use black pepper!); shave some truffles over macaroni (or else saute forest mushrooms in EVOO, butter, S&P and truffle oil for fake truffles)
7. spoon the reduced chicken stock over the whole lot; sprinkle with chives, season further if needed and serve immediately