Use an immersion blender to blend each spoonful of cheese until it has become completely smooth and melted.Add the cheese to the simmering liquid slowly, about one spoonful at a time.Whisk the sodium citrate into the water or milk until it’s fully dissolved before bringing the mixture to a simmer.You can also find various brands of sodium citrate online, such as WillPowder and Artistre, among others.They are, however, different, so be sure to check the label in order to select the right one. Both sodium citrate and citric acid are referred to as “sour salt” and can be found in the kosher section of grocery stores.Citric acid will lower the pH level and will result in a soupy or grainy texture instead of a silky emulsion.

Sodium citrate allows the proteins in the cheese sauce to become more soluble without lowering the pH of the sauce, which creates a smooth emulsion without curdling.

You cannot substitute citric acid for sodium citrate in this recipe.

Sodium citrate is a sodium salt of citric acid, which is found naturally in citrus fruits.

The resulting texture is as smooth as melted American cheese, but as complex and intense in flavor as any of your favorite cheeses.Īdapted from the recipe for Mac and Cheese on page 310 of Modernist Cuisine at Home

We use sodium citrate, which has the same effect and is easier to find. He showed that sodium phosphate keeps the water and fat droplets mixed when the cheese is melted. Kraft, who in 1916 patented the first American cheese slice.

Our modernist version of mac and cheese owes its chemistry to James L. We solve this problem with a little emulsion science and the use of sodium citrate. So, either you sacrifice the flavor of the cheese by adding far too much béchamel, or you dilute the cheese less at the cost of greasiness. The starch particles and milk proteins in béchamel act as emulsifiers, but they aren’t very good at their job and result in poor flavor release. While we have always loved this family staple, there is an inherent problem with traditional preparations: all of the virtues of using good cheese are lost when you make a cheese sauce with flour and milk, as in a traditional béchamel sauce, the standard in nearly all macaroni and cheese recipes.Ĭheese is an emulsion of dairy fat and water, but that emulsion tends to break down when it gets hot. One of the traditional dishes we took on in Modernist Cuisine at Home is classic mac and cheese.

Mac and cheese roux ratio