Main course Cauliflower Cheese

Name: How to cook Main course Cauliflower Cheese - cookcic.com
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Us

Introduce

Chef :

John A

Main course Cauliflower Cheese

Presented with a truly ginormous cauliflower, I decided to use “bits and pieces” from the larder and fridge make a cauliflower cheese for supper rather than as a side dish. The bacon could be omitted by non-meat eaters, whilst a few frozen peas as an accompaniment might add colour but this is plenty for us by itself.

Ingredient

Food ration :

4 servings

Cooking time :

60-80 minutes, including prep

good-sized cauliflower

60 g

butter

40 g

plain flour

500 ml

milk

150 g

cheddar cheese (or other variety according to preference)

1/2 tsp

English mustard powder or 1 tsp ready-mixed mustard

80-100 g

bacon, cut in small pieces. I use unsmoked bacon but use smoked if that’s your taste

onions, thinly sliced

3-4 cloves

garlic, chopped

leek, reasonably thinly sliced

100 g

chestnut or other mushrooms, in chunks

cherry tomatoes, halved

Cooking instructions

* Step 1

Pre-heat oven to Gas Mark 5 or electric equivalent. 160C on a Circotherm oven, probably 180C otherwise.

* Step 2

Break up the cauliflower into large florets (use the stalks and outer leaves if you like but cut them up small so that everything is cooked evenly) and boil in salted water for around 10 minutes, until cooked but still firm. Remove from heat, drain and spread across a lasagne or similar oven-proof dish.

* Step 3

Heat 10g of the butter and gently fry the bacon pieces for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onions and fry them for another 2 minutes. Then add the garlic and leeks and fry for a further 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Finally, add the mushrooms and fry for another minute, stirring gently but continuously. Set aside.

* Step 4

In a separate pan, gently melt the butter and then progressively add the flour and mustard, stirring continuously to make a smooth paste.

* Step 5

Add the milk, a very little at a time and stirring continuously. When all is thoroughly mixed, add 100g of cheese and stir until well-mixed.

* Step 6

Add the fried ingredients, stir to mix well. If the sauce is too thick to be be of a pouring but not thin consistency, add a little more milk. Add a little pepper.