Smoky saffron and colossal prawn mac & cheese

This is the cashmere of mac and cheeses.

Rich. Fabulous. Sublime.

This is a sensual, luxurious indulgence which will make you forget about the recession one mouthful at a time.

There are a couple of steps, but dont be put off by the thought of making the prawn stock. You can have it all done in 15 minutes. Unlike meat stocks which stretch themselves out like a bad marriage, making this stock is a hot, quick affair which will have everything blushing like the prawn shells.

You can make it a day ahead if you like, then just leave the stripped prawns loitering in a bath of olive oil and garlic overnight.The point of using colossal prawns is that they are so big that they cook in proportion to the browning of the topping. Smaller prawns would overcook.

You can make the stock with just the colossal prawn shells, but as they are freshwater, I just pick up a pound of cheaper shrimp with their heads still attached. They give the stock some salty gravity and you can peel them after and chop them up for a shrimp salad, but I must admit to discarding them.

I was a very spoilt boy; my friend, Betty, graced me with a ransom sized bag of fine Persian saffron threads. You might adjust the quantity of pinches in this recipe based on the quality and age of your saffron.

stock:

Combine everything in a medium saucepan and bring to a steady simmer. Cook for 15 mins and then pour through a sieve into a bowl. Press lightly on the prawns and shells to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the solids. You should have 3 cups of liquid. This will keep 2 days in the refridgerator. Freeze the extra for the next time you make this.

topping:

peel and devein the prawns (the shells go into the stock). Splash them with the olive oil, add the garlic and a pinch of saffron. Cover and refrigerate.

crumble the bread into crumbs and mix with the grated cheeses.

melt the butter and add the saffron, allow to infuse at least 10 minutes.

sauce:

bring a pot of water to the boil. Add a fistful of salt and the pasta.

heat the stock and 1 pinch saffron in a small saucepan

melt the butter in a skillet or saucepan, add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook until the paste has turned nut-brown. Add the stock and whisk until smooth. Add the cream and milk and bring to a gentle simmer.

season with salt, pepper, paprika and another pinch of saffron (I grind mine down using the edge of a sugar cube)

drizzle the brandy into the sauce and stir.

drain the pasta, not too fastidiously. A little pasta water helps the sauce get along with the noodles.

mix 3/4 of the pasta with the sauce. If it looks too sauce heavy, add more pasta. Remember that a lot of the sauce will soak into the pasta when it is in the oven.

pour the pasta into an oven dish or individual ramekins. Top with the cheesy bread crumbs.

arrange the prawns in the centre of the dish.

drizzle half of the saffron butter over the prawns.

bake in a hot oven (430f / 225c) for about 15-20 minutes until the topping is brown and the prawns are cooked through to a startling shade of scarlet!

This pasta is curiously good with a salad of bitter greens mixed with whisper thin rounds of radishes and cherry tomatoes. The cool, spicy, crunchy textures of the salad are the perfect foil for the creamy, smoky sexiness of the pasta.

Of course, a knockout glass of wine couldnt hurt either!