Fideos
Serrano Ham, Mushrooms, Mahon-Menorca PDO, Truffles, Pistachios
Chef Alex Kopp of Amada | Atlantic City, NJ
Yield: 1 serving
”The inspiration for this dish was to bridge a gap between home-comfort food in a market that predominantly seeks American-style steakhouse food, while keeping the roots of Spanish cuisine alive throughout it. I wanted to create a dish that could be understood and easily approached by the average consumer, while using a phenomenal product like Mahόn-Menorca PDO. I thought to myself: “What better way to do this than to attempt a play on the classic ‘mac and cheese’?” Having worked with Mahόn-Menorca PDO before, I was already aware of its wonderful ability to be a fantastic cheese to melt. Given its resilience and its comparatively higher fat content and nutty flavor, this made the perfect opportunity to try this out and what a success it has been. We have been running the dish in the restaurant as a special for a week now and the success speaks for itself. I would say: ‘Mission accomplished.’” — Chef Alex Kopp
Adapted by StarChefs | December 2024 | Photo: Stephen Recchia
INGREDIENTS
Blond Roux:
½ pound butter
½ pound all-purpose flour
Mahόn-Menorca PDO Sauce:
6 ounces heavy cream
8 ounces grated Mahón-Menorca PDO
Kosher salt
To Assemble and Serve:
Neutral oil
1½ ounces diced serrano ham
1 ounce chopped oyster mushrooms
1 ounce chopped cremini mushrooms
¾ ounce finely chopped garlic
1½ ounces diced shallots
1½ ounces Sherry
3 ounces vegetable stock
¼ ounce shaved black truffles
8 ounces fideo pasta, par cooked
¼ ounce fennel pollen
¼ ounce pistachios, blanched, shelled, and ground
¼ ounce Spanish paprika
½ ounce white truffle oil
Grated Mahón-Menorca PDO
METHOD
For the Blond Roux:
In a sauté pan, melt butter. Add flour and whisk until lightly browned and a blond roux is achieved. Remove from heat and let cool.
For the Mahόn-Menorca PDO Sauce:
In a sauce pot over medium-high flame, heat heavy cream to 180°F, stirring constantly to ensure the cream does not burn. Once hot, add the Mahόn-Menorca PDO and cook until smooth and desired sauce consistency is achieved. Remove from heat and season with salt. Working in batches, add Blond Roux until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Transfer to a nonreactive container and let cool.
To Assemble and Serve:
In a large sauté pan over high flame, heat oil. Add ham and mushrooms. Cook until fat is rendered and ham and mushrooms begin to crisp. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic and shallots. Cook 1 minute. Deglaze pan with wine and cook 30 seconds. Add vegetable stock and cook additional 30 seconds. Add Mahόn-Menorca PDO Sauce and black truffle. Cook until desired consistency is achieved, stirring occasionally. Add pasta and stir to coat. Add additional vegetable stock if needed to thin sauce. Transfer mixing to a serving plate. Garnish with fennel pollen, ground pistachio, paprika, white truffle oil, and grated Mahόn-Menorca PDO.
