Cauliflower Cheese
British Sunday-lunch staple: blanched cauliflower in a sharp cheddar and mustard béchamel, topped with extra cheese and breadcrumbs, baked until bubbling and golden. The white sister to mac and cheese; pairs with roasts, particularly beef.
Overview
Cauliflower florets blanch briefly so they're not raw but not cooked through. A béchamel takes mature cheddar, parmesan and mustard. The cauliflower nestles into the dish, the sauce drowns it, breadcrumbs and more cheese top, the oven does the rest.
Ingredients
Cauliflower
- 1 cauliflower (large, broken into large florets)
Sauce
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 50 g plain flour
- 700 ml whole milk (warm)
- 200 g mature cheddar cheese (grated)
- 50 g parmesan cheese (grated)
- 2 teaspoons English mustard (or Dijon)
- A grating of nutmeg
- salt
- pepper
Topping
- 50 g panko (or coarse breadcrumbs)
- 50 g cheddar cheese (grated)
- 30 g unsalted butter (melted)
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme
Method
Stage 1 - Blanch the cauliflower
- Bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil.
- Add the cauliflower; cook 4-5 minutes until just-tender at the base (a knife enters with slight resistance).
- Drain thoroughly; pat dry. Wet cauliflower waters down the sauce.
Stage 2 - Béchamel
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
- Melt the butter in a heavy pan over medium heat.
- Whisk in the flour; cook 1 minute.
- Pour in the warm milk gradually, whisking until smooth and thickened.
- Off the heat, stir in the cheddar, parmesan and mustard until melted.
- Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Stage 3 - Assemble
- Arrange the cauliflower florets in a baking dish, stem-side down.
- Pour the cheese sauce over, making sure it covers all the florets.
- Combine the breadcrumbs, extra cheddar, melted butter and thyme; scatter over the top.
Stage 4 - Bake
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is deep golden and the sauce is bubbling at the edges.
- Rest 5 minutes before serving (the sauce thickens as it sits).
Notes
- Don't overcook the cauliflower: Blanched-tender, not soft. It cooks more in the oven; over-blanched gives mush.
- Pat the cauliflower dry: Wet cauliflower dilutes the sauce. Drain in a colander, let steam, dab with kitchen paper.
- Mature cheddar minimum: Mild cheddar gives bland cauliflower cheese. Mature, extra mature, or vintage are all good options.
Storage
- Keeps 3 days refrigerated. Reheat at 180°C for 20 minutes covered with foil, then 5 uncovered to re-crisp the top.
- Freezes 2 months baked.
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