How To Make Haitian Macaroni Au Gratin!

Introduction

Figure: sourced from savorythoughts.com

Haitian Macaroni Au Gratin, Makawoni O Graten, or Gratin De Macaroni is the Haitian version of cheese and mac. The Haitian Macaroni Au Gratin is a dish that is often reserved for most joyous and special occasions. Its rich and meaty flavour makes it a great deal to be consumed at peak times of someone’s big day like weddings and birthdays and other celebrations like Easter and Christmas with family and friends. The dish embodies the merging of Haitian and French cooking techniques, as the French colonization of Haiti in the 19^th century is the genesis of Macaroni Au Gratin. The distinctive flavour of this cuisine is not just because of the cultural interchange between French and Haitian people but also because of the incorporation of seasonings and regional ingredients.

Signature Ingredients

Parmesan cheese or Moor’s Head cheese

Evaporated milk

Onions and a garlic clove

Butter

Diced bell peppers

Paste with holes or ridges

Ham

Hot Sauce

Equipment

A rectangular baking dish of 15” x 10” x 2” inches

For the Mixture of Flour and Fat

Unsalted butter

All-purpose flour

Instructions to Make Haitian Macaroni Au Gratin

First, take a large pot and add 16 cups of water to it. Add some seasoned salt while turning on the stove. Wait until the water boils. Then, add the pasta to the water boiling on the stove for 10 to 15 minutes until it becomes soft. (One thing to note is that Haitians, unlike Italians, prefer to cook their pasta until it turns soft, which lessens the chance of pasta becoming crispy when it is put in the oven.)

When the pasta turns soft, dump it into the strainer, let the water strain, and place the paste aside for a few minutes.

While the pasta is set aside, turn the oven on and set the temperature to 350^o Fahrenheit.

Set the stove on medium heat. After that, put the pot back on the heat and add onions, a garlic clove, bell peppers, and sauté better to the pot and let it all cook for 2 minutes. (One thing to note is that the peppers should be tender by that point.)

Next, dump the strainer filled with pasta into the pot and put it on the stove. Mix it well with other ingredients.

In a separate pan, make a roux using fat and flour.

Pour evaporated milk into the mixed ingredients and roux in the pot while stirring to prevent clumping. Stir everything together well.

Now, add the Parmesan cheese in its grated form, seasoned salt, and butter. Mix everything well. (You can add seasoned salt to enhance the flavour, otherwise it is optional.)

Take out a rectangular baking dish of 15” x 10” x 2” inches. Begin pouring the mixture from the pot into the baking dish. Take care while spreading the mixture, ensuring that it takes each corner of the rectangular dish. (To enhance the flavour more, Parmesan or Gouda cheese can be added to the top of the dish later. Mayonnaise can also be added to the mac and cheese.)

Next, put the rectangular dish of roux and mixture of ingredients in the oven, on the middle rack, for 45 to 60 minutes (Mirlene).

Note that the top of the mixture turns “golden brown” by the end of the timer.

Take the dish out of the oven when it turns golden brown. Let it cool for 10 minutes.

Once cooled down, serve it to everyone at the birthday or Christmas party.

Serving

Serve the Haitian Macaroni Au Gratin as the main dish straight out of the oven, or it can be cooled down for 10 minutes. Add a bunch of greens like salad or vegetables to make it a complete meal if one wants to serve it for lunch or dinner.

Works Cited

Mirlene. “Haitian Macaroni Au Gratin.” Savory Thoughts, 17 Dec. 2023, https://www.savorythoughts.com/haitian-macaroni-au-gratin/.