Name: Cauliflower cheese
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 head of cauliflower; 1 clove; 1 small onion, peeled; 600 ml milk; 25g flour (corn or wheat); 25g butter; 200 ml single cream; 1 tsp English mustard; 250g mature cheddar, grated; ground pepper, salt, nutmeg

Cauliflower cheese

19 Sep 2018

by Dinna

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Total Time

35 minutes

Background

One of the most popular English side dishes is Cauliflower cheese. Nowadays many people buy it as a ready-made dish from the supermarket, yet it’s so easy to make! This version is spiced up a bit with bay leaf and clove and it’s the best recipe I’ve tried out so far. I made this one with cornflour instead of plain flour, so it’s gluten-free, but you can use standard flour too.

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower
1 clove
1 small onion, peeled
600 ml milk
25g flour (corn or wheat)
25g butter
200 ml single cream
1 tsp English mustard
250g mature cheddar, grated
ground pepper, salt, nutmeg

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Poke the clove through the bayleaf into the onion. Place this in a pan, pour over the milk and slowly heat it up, until simmering point. Turn off the heat and let it infuse for 10 minutes. Discard the onion.
Meanwhile, break the cauliflower into florets, then put them in a salted boiling water for 5 minutes or so, until just cooked through. Drain, rinse under cold water and drain again.
In another pan, melt the butter, add the flour, stir at very low temperature for about 3 minutes until it turns light. Add the milk, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Cook for 5-10 minutes until you get a silky, smooth sauce. Add two thirds of the cheese, then the cream and the mustard. Mix well. Season with salt & pepper - you can add a pinch of nutmeg, if liked. Combine gently.
Grease an ovenproof dish with butter and arrange the cauliflower pieces neatly side-by-side. Rub a little butter on top of them, then pour over the cheese sauce.
Scatter the remaining cheese on top and cook for 20 minutes until golden.