TRES LECHES MAC & CHEESE WITH HOT HONEY FRIED CHICKEN
A ridiculously delicious and indulgent meal.
This is called tres leches mac and cheese because we're using three different types of milk: whole, evaporated, and double cream. However, it should really be called tres leches quatro queso because we're also using four different types of cheese. There is some debate on how wet mac and cheese should be, but dry mac and cheese is a dealbreaker, and I'd rather not eat it; mine has to be WET. I can confidently say I have mastered the art of making beautifully golden fried chicken, and the secret is in the dry dredge, so make sure you follow the method below carefully for a ridiculously delicious and indulgent meal.
Ingredients
Mac and cheese:
600g gobetti rigati (or pasta shape of choice)
125g unsalted butter
5 cloves garlic
2 tbsp AP flour
500ml whole milk
350ml evaporated milk
300ml double cream
100ml pasta water
200g cheddar
200g grated mozzarella
150g Gouda
100g Parmesan
50ml sriracha caramel (substitute for equal parts sriracha and honey)
Tsp smoked paprika
Tsp black pepper
Tsp onion powder
Salt to taste
Hot honey fried chicken:
2 chicken breasts
200ml buttermilk
50ml sriracha caramel (substitute for sriracha and honey)
2 sachets sazon frango (or your favourite chicken seasoning)
Tbsp lemon and herb seasoning
Tsp salt
Tsp black pepper
Tsp onion powder
Tsp garlic powder
100g AP flour
25g cornstarch
25g tapioca starch
Tsp salt
Neutral oil for frying (enough to half-fill your pot)
100ml honey
20ml sriracha
Tsp chilli flakes
Tsp dried jalapeno flakes
Pinch of salt
Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Method
Step 1: Firstly, we're gonna marinate the chicken. Remember, the longer the marination, the more flavour maximisation. Cut your chicken breast into long strips; each breast should give you 3.
Step 2: Add the buttermilk, sriracha caramel, seasoning, mix, and let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour, ideally between 4 and 8 hours.
Step 3: While marinating, we can start on the mac and cheese. Cook your pasta until just cooked, saving some of the pasta water.
Step 4: Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water to prevent it from overcooking and sticking.
Step 5: Add the butter and grated garlic to a pot on medium heat.
Step 6: Cook the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the flour. Cook for 2 minutes, lower the heat, and gradually add the whole milk while constantly mixing.
Step 7: Once you've added all the milk, you can add the evaporated milk, pasta water, and double cream. Increase the heat to medium again and let this thicken up while mixing it occasionally.
Step 8: Grate all your cheeses, turn the heat off, and add the cheese to the pot, gradually mixing it in. Tip: Turning off the heat is super important. If the liquids are too hot, the cheese will curdle, and your sauce will be lumpy and might split.
Step 9: Add all the other ingredients, then your pasta, and mix thoroughly. You want this to be wet, but of course, if there is too much liquid, you can put some aside. Different pasta shapes will take up different amounts of space, so it's up to you to make sure the ratio is right.
Step 10: Add half of the pasta to a baking tray, then add a layer of cheese, top with the rest of the pasta, and finish with more cheese.
Step 11: Place this into an oven preheated to 170C for 20 minutes. Then broil for 5 minutes to get the cheese beautifully golden brown.
Step 12: While the mac and cheese is in the oven, coat your chicken tenders in the dry mix, squeezing the dredge into the chicken so it sticks well.
Step 13: Let the coated chicken sit on a wire rack for 10 minutes to ensure the coating sticks. In the meantime, heat some neutral oil in a pot to 170C. Tip: If you can't measure the temperature, just put it on medium/high heat.
Step 14: Drop the chicken tenders in, moving them around slightly with a metal spoon so they don't stick to the pot or each other. They should only take 6-8 minutes to cook until beautifully golden and cooked through.
Step 15: To make the hot honey, add all the ingredients to a pot on low/medium heat and stir to combine; if it's too watery, turn the heat all the way up and let the liquid reduce slightly.
Step 16: Take the chicken out of the oil and instantly coat it in the hot honey. Then, serve it on top of the Mac and cheese.
KITCHEN VIBE 🎶
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