Macaroni Pie?

Seriously? Macaroni pie?

Yes, you read that right, macaroni pie. We never in a million years thought we would be including this in a TASTY POSTCARD but, hey we’re just getting started, so who knew? After a late winter getaway to Barbados where we encountered it every day, it seemed inescapable. Then we talked about it, dug a bit deeper, and it makes perfect sense. What really interests us are local dishes, how they came to be, what they mean to people and why they are important. The answers are often surprising as food reflects our cultural heritage, our sense of self, and our identities within a community. Food can also be a powerful tool for storytelling and creating memories that last a lifetime. Even macaroni pie! How so? In Barbados we began to understand that macaroni pie is much more than a variation on mac ’n’ cheese. At first we compared it to and even dismissed it as a quirky version, but that misses the point entirely. In America we claim it as our own, but its’ roots go back to the British Isles. Naturally the Scots, Irish and English brought it with them to the Caribbean, as a taste of home, and as happens everywhere, it was adapted to the local culture, tastes and the availability of ingredients.

We were there for a quick, late winter getaway, hit a few beaches, soak up some sun, and this being Barbados, sample a bit of the local rum for which they are justly proud. But of course, Mary Anne brought her watercolors and I brought my appetite for all things indigenous, specific to the locale. Barbados juts into the Atlantic just above Trinidad and Tobago, at the eastern end of the Caribbean. The island’s history—colored by colonialism, trade, and the shadows of slavery—adds a rich layer of complexity to its charm. We looked forward to tasting their cuisine, which we discovered to be a confusing, whimsical fusion of cultures that often caught us by surprise, none more so than macaroni pie. Baked in large casserole dishes, it does not have a crust, despite being labelled a “pie”. Made using long tubular macaroni (rather than the elbow variety we use) along with evaporated milk, eggs, ketchup, mustard and local spices, we found it surprisingly and unfailingly delicious. This is the perfect illustration of “fusion cuisine” and a reminder that it doesn’t just happen in trendy, big city restaurants, but has existed far longer than we might think.

How did macaroni pie become such a cultural symbol, seemingly imbedded into the DNA of the island? There’s probably no one reason but simply a borrowed tradition, adapted over time to the local culture, something easily recreated in homes and restaurants. Here’s the recipe for Bajan (pronounced Bā-jan) macaroni pie and we’ll leave you with our recipe from our cookbook, “FEEL GOOD FOOD”. Make it your own and enjoy this taste of Barbados.

BTW the rum was delicious, inexpensive and fabulous with the local tamarind juice.

BAJAN MACARONI PIE

Ingredients

1 lb. *macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon paprika
1 good pinch dried thyme, or more fresh
1 teaspoon chili powder, or your choice hot pepper sauce to taste
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1 teaspoon mustard powder, or Dijon mustard to taste
1/4 cup ketchup
3 cups grated cheese, cheddar, jack or a mix
Salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 F, butter or grease a large casserole dish

2. Over medium heat sauté the onion in butter adding the garlic and dry spices for another couple of minutes, about 8-10 minutes total.

3. Cook the macaroni until done, drain place back in the pot. In a large bowl, beat the eggs into the evaporated milk adding the ketchup, mustard and finally the cheeses, reserving some for the top.

4. Combine everything and place into the casserole dish, topping with the reserved cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for approximately 30 minutes, removing the foil for the final 5 minutes or so allowing the top to brown a bit.

   
   * the long tubular macaroni used in Barbados is virtually impossible to find here so feel free to use elbow macaroni, penne or even gemelli

Mac ’n’ Cheese au Gratin
From “Feel Good Food - Recipes from the Hudson Valley’s Blue Mountain Bistro-to-Go”

Serves 10

Mac ’n’ cheese, the quintessential American comfort food, is actually English in origin. Cheddar cheese is a must, and I add Pecorino Romano, Parmesan, or Gruyère for extra depth of flavor. Feel free to use any bits of cheese you might have kicking around your fridge, or add a pricy truffle cheese and you have something to accompany a prime rib roast. When we serve this on the kid’s buffet at parties, we always make extra, as the adults inevitably poach the line! Let’s face it, everyone loves mac ’n’ cheese.

1 lb macaroni or egg noodles
2 recipes for Béchamel Sauce (pg 259)
1 lb cheddar cheese, grated (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup grated Gruyère cheese (about 2 oz)
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan (about 2 oz)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Panko Topping (recipe below)
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add macaroni, cooking according to package instructions. Drain and, without rinsing, transfer to a large mixing bowl. Combine with béchamel sauce, mustard, 3 cups cheddar (reserving 1 cup for topping), Gruyère, and pecorino cheese. Season generously with lots of freshly ground black pepper.

Stir together and take a moment to size it all up if before it goes into your baking dish (a 9" x 13" baking dish works well) and oven. Does it look soupy? Is it thick and sticky? How does it taste? Is there enough cheese, salt, and pepper? Now is the time to fix it. Your mixture should have the consistency of lumpy oatmeal. Remember it’s going to dry out a bit in the oven, and the noodles will continue to absorb more liquid, so the mixture should be fairly soft and creamy, but not soupy!

Rub the bottom your baking dish with oil and garlic and then pour in the mixture, sprinkling with the reserved 1 cup cheddar cheese. Crumble panko topping over everything, which gives a finished look and a crunchy counterpoint to the creamy casserole dish. It also will absorb some of the fat from the cheeses as it rises up and make a tasty, attractive finish to the dish.

Bake 30 minutes or so, until the casserole is bubbling at the edges and the topping is golden and crisp.

Panko Topping

1 tablespoon minced garlic
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
salt & pepper

Mix topping ingredients together and scatter evenly over casserole.