Roasted cauliflower cheese
Roast cauliflower intensifies the flavour of this delicious cauliflower cheese. Mustard in the sauce adds a depth of flavour that means the recipe needs less cheese than normal.
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce
- 20²µ/¾´Ç³ú unsalted butter
- 20²µ/¾´Ç³ú plain flour
- 6-8 rasps freshly grated nutmeg (see recipe tip)
- 250ml/9fl oz skimmed milk
- 40g/1½oz mature cheddar, finely grated
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 15²µ/½´Ç³ú Parmesan, or similar vegetarian hard cheese, finely grated
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Put the cauliflower in an ovenproof dish and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, or until tender and starting to brown.
Meanwhile, make the sauce: melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes, or until a light golden colour. Gradually add the milk, stirring all the time until smooth, then cook over a gentle heat for 3–4 minutes, mixing as you heat until thickened.
Add the nutmeg. Turn down the heat and add the mustard and cheddar cheese. Taste and add a little pepper to taste.
Put the roasted cauliflower into the sauce and mix to coat. Put back into the roasting dish, sprinkle over the Parmesan and return to the oven for 10–15 minutes, or until the cheese is golden-brown and the sauce is bubbling.
Recipe Tips
If using pre-ground nutmeg bear in mind that it tends to have less flavour so you'll probably need to add more. Start with a teaspoon, taste the sauce and add more as desired.