Oh, I do love a bit of cauliflower, it was quite an unfashionable recipe a few years back but not anymore. We now appreciate this fab veg which is not only cheap, also nutritious and also available almost year-round. This cauliflower cheese recipe makes the most of great British cauliflowers and no self-respecting Sunday beef would be complete without some.
But a cauliflower cheese is not just for the weekend, it makes a superb vegetarian stand-alone dish, can be whizzed into a soup and one of my all-time favourites is with a baked potato.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium cauliflower (approx 450g)
- 60g butter
- 60g plain flour
- Large pinch salt
- 400 ml milk
- Freshly ground pepper
- Approx 60g grated cheese (mature cheddar is lovely)
Method:
- Heat the oven to 200 °C/Gas 7
- Break the cauliflower into florets removing the thick central core. Steam whole over a pan of boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove the cauliflower from the heat and leave to cool.
- Place the butter, flour and a good pinch of salt into a large saucepan and stir over low heat until you have created a thick paste.
- Raise the heat and add the cold milk all at once and whisk like crazy until a thick, smooth cream is formed, then cook gently for about 5 minutes. Add the grated cheese and stir again. Once the cheese has melted remove from the heat.
- Place the steamed florets into a baking dish large enough to hold all them in one layer.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower, sprinkle with a little grated cheese and a good twist of black pepper.
- Bake in the hot oven until the sauce is bubbling and golden brown on the top, approx 30 minutes. Serve immediately. The cauliflower does heat up beautifully the next day should you have any leftover.
If you enjoyed the cauliflower cheese recipe, find more recipes from Elaine, find them here on the website.