FRANCE’S MAC & CHEESE
The famous Gratin de Macaroni inspired by Paul Bocuse. 
Call it French mac and cheese if you like, though Bocuse himself would probably raise an eyebrow at that. This is his take on a dish that has sat quietly on French tables for sixty years as a side, no flour, no eggs, no white sauce, just pasta cooked directly in milk and cream until it drinks the lot up. I've merged his original 1976 version with the leaner one from his later book, so this sits right in between. Use a French pasta if you can find one. Yes, we do make pasta in France, and very well too.
INGREDIENTS
250 ml (1 cup) whole milk
250 ml (1 cup) double cream, plus 200 ml (¾ cup) extra
1 small onion, peeled and halved
A few sprigs fresh parsley
A few sprigs fresh sage
Salt and pepper
150 g (5 oz) dry macaroni
a few tbsp Butter ( 1 for the dish and 1 for the pasta)
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed
100 g (5 oz) gruyere cheese, grated
MISE EN PLACE
You will need a small cast iron skillet or gratin dish.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Have the garlic crushed and the cheese grated before you start, so you are not scrambling once the pasta is ready.
METHOD
Combine the milk and the first measure of cream in a saucepan with the onion, parsley and sage. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a gentle simmer.
While the milk mixture warms, butter your dish generously, then rub it all over with the crushed garlic. Don’t be shy here. Leave a few bits of garlic sitting in the bottom of the dish, they will do good work later.
Once the milk is simmering, raise the heat to medium and add the macaroni. Cook for about 6 minutes, keeping a gentle boil going and adding a splash more milk if things look dry. This is a rough guide, so if your pasta needs a minute or two longer, let it have it.
When ready, discard the onion, parsley and sage, then tip the pasta and its cooking liquid into the buttered dish. Stir through a good knob of butter until it melts in. The mixture will look quite dry at this stage, so pour over the extra cream and stir again. You want the liquid barely covering the macaroni, not submerge.
Scatter the cheese generously over the top and season lightly with salt, keeping in mind the cheese already carries plenty. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden and a crust has formed. This dish is best eaten hot, while the cheese is still pulling and the top is still crisp.
Cooking Notes
This is not a dish that can be reheated so cook to eat straight away. Reheating creates oiliness - it’s just not the same.
The type of cheese matters. Try Emmental or gruyere to avoid the cheese rendering to much oil on top. If it does, when you take the dish out of the oven, just tip any excess oil off.