sorry it's been a while since I last wrote anything on here. Been a bit preoccupied with Christmas and work and so on.
Anyway, I wanted to post this recipe as I've cooked it a couple of times and it was sooooo good, I wanted to share :)
Of course it's from the BBC Food website (how I managed to survive without this for so many years I do not know), and it's from the Hairy Biker's (food and bikes, what could be better?). As with all my recipe posts I'll link to the original recipe but add what I changed and my comments or suggestions (not to suggest that I think I know better of course!).
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| Yes I put it under the grill and the breadcrumbs caught a teeny bit this time |
Preparation time - less than 30 minutes
Cooking time - 30 minutes to 1 hour
Serves 4 (or 2 hungry people)
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, trimmed and broken in to florets
250g smoked streaky bacon (I prefer non-streaked but it's up to you), cut into thin strips
250g chestnut mushrooms, finely sliced (I guess they go further that way)
I also added one leek, sliced
25g butter
50g plain flour
250ml full fat milk
200g Gruyere cheese, grated (I used cheddar instead)
55ml double cream (I used low fat creme fraiche instead and it gave mouth-watering flavour)
Pinch mustard powder (I don't have any so seasoned with cayenne pepper, but go easy on it as it packs a punch!)
Salt and ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
For the topping
50g ciabatta breadcrumbs (I just used normal sliced bread - I'm not made of money!)
50g parmesan cheese, finely grated
I personally felt that the ingredients did not make enough bechamel sauce so I increased the amounts of butter, flour, milk and creme fraiche to make more but even then it didn't fully cover the cauliflower (perhaps the last two cauliflowers have been abnormally big, but I don't think so...). Generally the sauce melts and spreads a bit more in the oven, but still I prefer my cauliflower cheese to be absolutely covered in sauce so next time I might just go for it and add 50% more to each ingredient.
Method
1. For the cauliflower, cook the florets in a large pan of boiling water for about 10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain and set aside and set the oven to preheat to 180c while you're preparing the sauce.
2. Meanwhile for the bechamel sauce, fry the bacon strips in a dry frying pan until coloured but not crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, keeping the bacon fat in the pan.
3. At this point I fried the leeks in the same pan with a little butter added as there wasn't much fat really (perhaps that's why it needs to be streaky bacon?). I then set aside the leeks with the bacon.
4. Then add the mushrooms to the same frying pan and fry for 2 - 3 minutes until golden brown (depending on your preferences you might want to add a small amount of butter). Remove from the pan and set aside with the other cooked ingredients.
5. Melt the butter in a clean saucepan and beat in the four until smooth. Gradually add in the milk bit by bit, whisking with each addition until smooth. Then stir in the mustard powder if using, or carefully shake in the cayenne pepper (keep tasting to make sure it's not too much), and add the grated cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted and then add the creme fraiche. Keep stirring until everything has melted and the mixture is fully combined and thick and creamy.
NB. If you're not sure about the technique of making a roux for a white sauce, watch the video on the link to the original recipe on BBC Food. Have to admit I've not used warm milk before, so I may give this a go next time to see if it makes it better.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and then fold in the mushrooms, bacon, and leeks.
NB. At this point you've probably had a few tastes and made loud exclamations about how tasty the sauce is - RESTRAIN YOURSELVES! Otherwise whoever you're cooking for will be in the kitchen like a shot, spoon in hand, and unless you can overpower them, you definitely won't have enough to cover the cauliflower!
7. At this point the oven should be warm enough, so put the cauliflower florets in an ovenproof dish and pour over the cheesy sauce. Sprinkle over a pinch of ground nutmeg.
In the original recipe they suggested putting the topping on before putting the dish in the oven, but as my sauce tended to melt a bit more in the oven I would be tempted to put it in the oven for a few minutes (maybe 5) and then add the topping and return to the oven, but have a go and see what you prefer.
8. For the topping, mix the breadcrumbs (ciabatta or otherwise) with the parmesan cheese, and sprinkle over the cauliflower. Place into the oven for 15 minutes, or until the topping is golden-brown and bubbling.
9. Spoon onto plates and serve with green salad and crusty bread, or whatever you like (could be a good side for Christmas dinner in fact). Be prepared for some serious bowl and spoon licking as there won't be much left over!
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