This mac and cheese is enhanced by the delicate flavor of chanterelles and the blend of boreal spices added to the sauce.

This isn't your mother's mac and cheese.

We affectionately call it our mac and chanterelles. It's a luxury macaroni and cheese, to treat yourself when the end of summer gives you the blues, or in the depths of winter, when you need the comfort of a creamy and tasty cheese sauce. It’s also a mac and cheese that proudly wears its local colors, from the cheese to the mushrooms and many of the spices.

We chose not to broil it, because we like a creamy and abundant sauce, and baking it tends to help the pasta absorb the sauce. However, know that you can definitely treat yourself to the au gratin version: just keep a little cheese to add on top instead of putting it all in the sauce, and reduce the cooking time of the pasta by a few minutes, since they will continue to cook in the oven.

When in season, we take advantage of fresh chanterelles and rainy August days to cook this dish, but it is also possible to make it from dehydrated chanterelles. Obviously, you can replace the chanterelles with another wild mushroom (for example, with lobster mushroom, which is in season at around the same time), but the taste will then be slightly different.

Ingredients

For 6 servings

340 g short pasta (we used gemelli, but macaroni, penne or fusilli would also work)

For the sautéed chanterelles:

1/4 cup diced pancetta (optional)
1 tbsp butter (omit or reduce if using pancetta)
1 shallot, very finely diced
3 to 4 cloves of garlic, very finely diced
350 g fresh chanterelles or 30 to 45 g dehydrated chanterelles (see note for preparation with dehydrated chanterelles)
1 pinch of salt
2 tbsp white wine

For the sauce:

2 tbsp flour
1/4 cup butter
6 dune pepper catkins, ground in a mortar
6 sweet gale catkins, ground in a mortar
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp Québec gorria pepper flakes
10 twists of black pepper
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
2 cups 2% milk
300 g of very tasty grated cheese (we suggest 150 g of Tomme du Kamouraska and 150 g of Saint-Guillaume Cheddar aged 1 year)
3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce or Québec fish sauce

Preparation with fresh chanterelles

Inspect the chanterelles carefully and compost any chanterelle that is soft or slimy, or in which an insect has taken up residence. Cut the mushrooms in half or leave them whole depending on their size and soak them for one or two minutes in a large bowl of salted water (cold or room temperature) to remove any impurities. Repeat in a new bowl of clean salted water if the chanterelles are still dirty. When removing them from the water, dry them well with a clean kitchen towel or absorbent paper. If any impurities remain, it is recommended to scrub them with a mushroom brush (in the wrong case, a new toothbrush with soft bristles does the trick).
Fry the chanterelles. In a hot pan, over medium-high heat, add the pancetta (if using) or butter and brown for about thirty seconds. Add the French shallot, garlic, chanterelles and salt. Chanterelles will begin to shed a lot of water, especially if you have cleaned them with salt water. This is completely normal; you simply have to wait for the water to evaporate, around ten minutes. The chanterelles are ready when the water has evaporated from the pan and the mushrooms are nicely browned. Deglaze by adding the white wine, then remove from the heat when the wine has evaporated.
Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and add the pasta to the boiling water. Cook according to package directions. Drain the pasta when ready.
Prepare the sauce. Start by making a roux: in a hot saucepan, over medium heat, heat the butter, then add the flour when the butter is hot and begins to produce bubbles. Whisk the roux to combine and let it toast for a minute. Add the spices, then the milk, and whisk well. When the milk is hot, add the grated cheese and mix until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth. Add dashes of Worcestershire sauce, then taste and add salt as needed. Add the pasta and the sautéed chanterelles, mix everything and serve hot to enjoy the finest creaminess!

Note: to cook this dish using dehydrated chanterelles, simply start at step 2, omitting to add the chanterelles and deglaze. Instead of adding the chanterelles at step 2, immerse them directly in the hot milk (before adding the cheese) at step 3 for about 15 minutes (it may be necessary to lower the heat to minimum for until the chanterelles rehydrate). Follow the rest of the recipe as is.