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Susan Jung

Text Susan Jung / Photography Jonathan Wong / Styling Nellie Ming Lee
 
I have about 10 types of pasta in my kitchen cupboards but I always reach for the macaroni when I'm craving comfort food; I like it because it's so easy to eat - you need only a spoon.
I use macaroni for salads, casseroles and gratins, and I add it to soups, to make them more substantial.
 
Gratin with pasta, pancetta, cheese and peas (pictured)
A pasta gratin with vegetables and cheese is a blank slate: you can vary it almost endlessly by changing the type of cheese and the vegetables. Some of my favourite combinations are goat's cheese with broccoli (cut into pieces and blanched until almost tender), gorgonzola with zucchini or asparagus (sliced then sautéed with a little butter and olive oil), and feta with frozen artichoke hearts (sliced then blanched). Adding pancetta gives the dish a lot of flavour, but it can be omitted.
The dish can be assembled in advance and refrigerated, then baked when needed. Served with a green salad, this gratin makes a light meal.
 
For the bechamel:
30 grams butter
30 grams plain flour
600ml whole milk 
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
120 grams finely grated comte or gruyere
 
For the gratin:
300 grams small macaroni (or another type of small pasta)
200 grams pancetta, sliced about 5mm thick
3 shallots
200 grams frozen peas (preferably petits pois)
10 grams panko 
30 grams freshly grated parmesan
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
 
Make the bechamel: melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan, add the flour and stir constantly over a low flame for about three minutes, or until it's very pale golden. Heat the milk until it's almost simmering (I do it in the microwave) then add about 100ml of it to the butter/flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Continue to add the milk slowly, whisking well to break down any lumps. After adding all the milk, whisk in a little grated nutmeg. Turn the flame as low as possible and cook the bechamel for about five minutes, whisking frequently.
Halve the shallots then thinly slice them. Trim the rind from the pancetta then cut the slices into 5mm-thick pieces. Put the pancetta in an unoiled skillet set over a medium flame and cook until it starts to brown. Add the shallot and cook until tender.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the macaroni and cook until a little firmer than al dente (it will cook further when it's baked). Add the peas and cook for about one minute, then drain the ingredients in a colander - do not rinse with cold water. Put the pasta and peas back into the pot then add the bechamel, cheese, pancetta, peas and some freshly ground black pepper. Mix thoroughly then taste a few pieces of macaroni. Add salt, if needed. Scrape the ingredients into a shallow baking dish (or use several individual dishes). Mix the panko with the parmesan and sprinkle over the gratin.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Bake the gratin for about 20 minutes, or until hot and golden brown. Leave to cool slightly for about 10 minutes before serving.
 
Soup with macaroni, dried shrimp, pork and preserved mustard stem 
Noodle shops serve this for breakfast but I also like it as a light lunch or dinner. The preserved mustard stem known as cha choi (or zha choi) is a speciality of Sichuan province; it's a misshapen green vegetable covered with a thin layer of chilli paste. Rinse it well before using.
 
20 grams dried shrimp
150 grams slightly fatty pork
10ml soy sauce 
10ml rice wine 
5ml cooking oil, plus extra for the eggs (if using) 
A pinch each of granulated sugar and ground white pepper 
1 small piece (about 5cm in diameter) preserved mustard stem
100 grams small macaroni 
1 spring onion, minced
Fine sea salt
Sesame oil, for drizzling
Two eggs (optional)
 
Rinse the dried shrimp then drain. Put the shrimp in a bowl, add about 200ml of warm water and leave to soak while preparing the other ingredients.
Slice the pork against the grain into thin strips then put it in a bowl and add the soy sauce, rice wine, cooking oil, sugar and pepper. Mix well then leave to marinate.
Rinse the mustard stem to remove the red coating then cut it into thin strips. Taste it and if it seems too salty, rinse with cold water, then pat it dry with paper towels.
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil, add the macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water.
Put the shrimp and soaking liquid in a saucepan and add 300ml of water. Once it boils, add the mustard stem. Simmer for several minutes then add the pork, with its marinade, and the macaroni. Bring to a simmer and cook for a few minutes. Taste for seasonings and adjust, if needed. If adding eggs, crack them into a lightly oiled skillet over a medium flame and cook them over easy. Ladle the soup into two bowls then sprinkle with spring onion and drizzle with sesame oil. Add the cooked eggs and serve immediately.
 


‘It just unleashed the inner me’: how fried chicken became the focus of first cookbook by Susan Jung since ending her 25 years as the Post’s food editor

How to make veal tartare with pickled shallot and Parmesan-paprika palmiers – a fancy dinner party starter that’s lean, light and elegant

How to make empanadas with cream cheese pastry, filled with potato, Spanish chorizo and onion and baked

How to make butterflied leg of lamb with garlic, anchovies and moutarde violette; and pearl couscous with lemon, Parmesan and mint

Susan Jung's recipes

Pasta recipes: macaroni gratin, and macaroni soup with Sichuan vegetables

Gratin with pasta, pancetta, cheese and peas

Magazines

PostMag

From a cheesy comfort food classic to a great soup filler, this versatile pasta never fails to delight.
