Cauliflower cheese hero

Oozy, cheesy goodness

Poppy and cauliflower

Everyone knows me as the Queen of Potatoes, but also the queen of *excess*. I think I have finally gone too far with this OTT cauli cheese. Its got cheddar, its got camembert, its got cauliflower – what more can you want? This definitely is not a recipe for the faint hearted, so get ready for this beautiful badboy.

The Cauliflower

Cauliflower butter

First off, when you’re making anything with cauliflower, roast it off first! Cauliflower takes on a delicious nutty flavour when roasted, so it adds another layer of flavour. I like to roast mine whole and smother it in a garlicky herb butter, but you can change up the flavours however you like depending on what you’re using it for. Curry powder works really well if you’re going to chuck it into a curry!

When I prepare the cauliflower I like to use:

  • 1 large cauliflower, around 1.5kg/3.5lbs (to feed 6-8 people)
  •  250g/9oz unsalted butter, softened
  • 10g flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or finely grated
  • Salt and pepper

Make sure to use a large tray that you can fit the cauliflower on and cover it with a lid. If you have a large dutch oven pot, this works well too! Mix together the butter, chopped parsley and garlic with a large pinch of salt and pepper and set aside while you prep the cauliflower.

Remove the leaves (keep hold of the tender smaller leaves for later!) and completely cover the top of the cauliflower with that herby delicious butter. Cover with an upside down saucepan or a lid before roasting at 180ºc/350ºf for around 1 hour until the cauliflower is tender all the way through. Leave to cool before continuing with the cheesy sauce.

The Sauce

Cheese sauce

People are a bit scared of making a white sauce, but you shouldn’t be! It’s so easy to make, and tastes so much better than shop bought. For this recipe, I use:

  • 75g/2.5oz unsalted butter
  • 75g/2.5oz plain flour
  • 500ml/17 fl.oz milk (approximate)
  • 75g/2.5oz cheddar cheese, finely grated (do not use pre-grated)
  • 75g/2.5oz comte, finely grated
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp garlic paste or 1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated
  • 1 nutmeg, grated (to taste)
  • Salt and white pepper

First off, get your butter into a saucepan and gently melt it down, then allow it to brown and become a beurre noisette. This step isn’t essential, but it adds such a nutty delicious flavour to your sauce. When the butter is foaming, tip in the flour and whisk everything together. It will come together in a chalky dough, then continue to cook out for a few more minutes.

Stir the dijon mustard and minced garlic and cook for a few minutes until the garlic is fragrant, then slowly start to add in the milk. Add in around 5 additions, allowing the milk to completely absorb into the flour while you whisk. You may need to switch between a whisk and a rubber spatula as the sauce changes consistency, as it will become quite thin after each addition and then thicken back up as the flour absorbs the milk.

When your sauce is at your desired consistency, stir through the grated cheeses and season well with salt and white pepper, then grating in some nutmeg.

The Baking

Roasting cauliflower cheese

In an ovenproof dish arrange the cauliflower leaves you kept back earlier. When your cauliflower is cooked through and tender, remove the pot from the top and carefully place the roasted cauliflower on top of the leaves. Drench your cauliflower in the rich cheese sauce, then sprinkle over a bit more cheese because WHY NOT IT’S CHRISTMAS! Bake for 15-20 minutes at 180ºc/350ºf until the cheese sauce is golden and bubbling.

While your cauliflower is in the oven, grab your final ingredients (these are optional, but incredibly delicious) –

  • 1 wheel of camembert
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut into small slices
  • 3-4 small sprigs of rosemary

Cut a slice of camembert, about 1/3rd of the wheel, and place onto the top of the cauliflower, rind side up. Slice a cross pattern into the top of the rind and stud with the slices of garlic and small rosemary sprigs, like you would a baking camembert. Pop the whole monstrosity back into the oven for a final 15 minutes until dripping and oozy.

She. Is. MAGNIFICENT.

Full video recipe is over on my Youtube channel, along with loads of other foodie inspo.