Gordon's mac and cheese

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

2 shallots, finely diced
250g dried macaroni
1 tbsp olive oil
100g girolles, trimmed and cut into even pieces
1 sprig of thyme, leaves removed
75ml white wine
200ml double cream
4 egg yolks
200g stichelton cheese, or similar eg stilton
100g Parmesan
Handful chives, finely chopped
25g butter
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil

1. Add the macaroni to a large pan of boiling salted water with the olive oil and cook for 7-10 minutes until just tender. Drain and rinse under cold water to remove excess starch. Return to the pan and set aside.

2. Melt the oil in a small frying pan. Add the mushrooms and fry until golden brown, add a small knob of butter and the thyme, cook for another minute then season with pepper. Drain the excess oil from the pan and then add the shallots and cook for a further 2 minutes or until softened, deglaze with the wine, reduce by half and set aside

3. Bring the cream to a gentle boil and add it to the mushrooms, add the egg yolks, chives and parmesan, mix well and crumble in two-thirds of the cheese. Add the macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir until everything is fully incorporated. Heat gently for a few minutes to melt the cheese. Season with pepper.

4. Butter the ovenproof dish, and pour in the mixture. Top with some stichelton and parmesan and transfer to a med oven for 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown, remove and leave to stand for 5 minutes or so, then serve.