So I made mac n cheese last night, which I think I have down pretty well. Basically do a roux to a bechamel, add in garlic, nutmeg, ceyenne, thyme, rosemary, simmer until thick, then finish with green onions and basil, and take off the heat and throw in the cheese, sharp cheddar and gruyere in this case.
But I wanted to add some flavors, diced onions and jalapenos, along with some chicken. I wasn't sure how to deal with the onion and pepper. I figured if I put it in the roux it would bunch it up, and if I put it in the bechamel it would never have a chance to brown. So I browned the chicken in oil in a skillet, set it aside, then put the onions and peppers, using their moisture along with a splash of beer, to degalze the pan. Cooked most of the moisture out and dumped it into the bechamel. Then the cheese and the chicken. Came out pretty good, but of course it's mac n cheese. It can only be so bad. I'm just curious how other people would approach this, and whether I'm think about it in the right way.
Also, hello. This is my first post. This may be the best instructional cooking site I've found. Love the videos, especially the ones on emulsions. Which actually reminds me of another question. I think Chef Jacob says a vinaigrette is a water in oil emulsion, which contradicts info I've found on other sites that say it's an oil in water emulsion. Isn't the procedure normally to drizzle oil into vinegar mixed with mustard? Wouldn't that make the oil the dispersed phase, even though there's more of it?
And one other question, although this may be answered in the sauces podcasts, which I have yet to finish, but would a bechamel/mornay be both a reduction and an emulsion? Anyway, thanks for the great site!!! :)