One of the greatest recipes from one of the greatest restaurants led by one of the greatest chefs in the country was inspired by, of all things, Cheez-Whiz. Surprising? Perhaps. But that’s Estela.
In his recently released cookbook, Chef Ignacio Mattos writes:
Before moving to New York, I ran the kitchen at Francis Mallmann’s summer restaurant Patagonia West in the Hamptons. Late at night after my shifts, I’d go to the only place in town that was open: a 7-Eleven. I’d almost always grab one of those taquitos and pump Cheez Whiz all over it. One night toward the end of the season, the clerk, who had seen me perform this ritual many times, smiled at me and said, “My friend, you really love America.”
Such was the inspiration for Estela’s Taleggio sauce, which sounds infinitely more sophisticated than Cheez-Whiz—but is only two ingredients: Taleggio cheese and heavy cream (plus salt to taste). You heat the cream, pour it over the cheese, let the two get to know each other, then blend them together. That’s it.
| 8 | ounces (about 225 g) Taleggio, cold |
| 1/2 | cup (120 ml) heavy cream, plus more if needed |
| Kosher salt |
| 8 | ounces (about 225 g) Taleggio, cold |
| 1/2 | cup (120 ml) heavy cream, plus more if needed |
| Kosher salt |
Because the ingredient list is so small, I asked Mattos why he went with Taleggio, a semisoft Italian cheese with a washed rind. “It’s funky and has truffle and barn-like notes,” he told me. “It’s rich and also decadent.”
Sold. I love how pungent the flavor is, while still making way for whatever you’re pouring the cheese sauce on. If you can’t find Taleggio, don’t let this stop you from riffing. In the test kitchen, we swapped in Brie to see if it would work—and, yep, sure did. The flavor was milder, but still worth pouring on anything.
On Estela’s menu, you’ll find the Taleggio sauce alongside steak. But Mattos loves it with a lot more than that. His favorite ways include: “with a burger, on roasted Brussels sprouts, or used as a dip for fries.”
We can confirm it’s excellent on roasted potatoes—and have a whole wish list of things we want to Taleggio sauce-ify:
- Sautéed kale on garlic bread
- Crispy hot dog with mustard and pickles
- Whole-roasted carrots
- Salty, blanched asparagus
- Rotisserie chicken
- Pasta!
Written by: Emma Laperruque
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26 Comments
Serve warm with any good wine or malty beer. Yummm!!
Now for the sauce recipients. Boneless chicken thighs stuffed with ham, spinach and mushrooms and baked a WOW. Then scrambled eggs, another yum...then Cheese Creamed Spinich...pasta with mushrooms...Heck just endless possibilites. Is there anything that isn't good with cheese...or bacon...oh there's one thia as a bacon cheese sauce. Hey using the cheddar it was an awesome dip for Honey Crisp apples...and apple pie!
If you're not down with the funky, warm animal earthiness a barn, try venturing into the milk room... I find it still has a distinct animally tang, but without the underlying, and sometimes overwhelming funk of the barn.
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