Name: Triple-cheese cauliflower
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 small cauliflower (about 1kg), cut into florets and thickly sliced; 25 gm butter; 25 gm plain flour; 400 ml milk; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 100 ml pouring cream; 100 gm coarsely grated Gruyère; 80 gm coarsely grated cheddar; 50 gm finely grated parmesan; 120 gm coarse sourdough breadcrumbs; 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional), to serve

Triple-cheese cauliflower

Three cheeses (count them), soft baked cauliflower and crisp breadcrumbs. Now that's a side dish.

Serves 6

Prep

15M

Cook

Total

1H 15M

How to make an unbeatable baked cauliflower cheese? Just triple the cheeses. We like the combination of Gruyère, cheddar and parmesan, while the crunch of the crisp breadcrumb top takes this all-time classic to new heights. Now that’s a side dish.

Ingredients

1 small cauliflower (about 1kg), cut into florets and thickly sliced

25 gm butter

25 gm plain flour

400 ml milk

1 tsp Dijon mustard

100 ml pouring cream

100 gm coarsely grated Gruyère

80 gm coarsely grated cheddar

50 gm finely grated parmesan

120 gm coarse sourdough breadcrumbs

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional), to serve

Method

1.Preheat oven to 200°C. Blanch cauliflower in a large saucepan of boiling salted water (2 minutes; see cook’s notes p152). Drain and leave to steam dry, then transfer to a 1.9-litre baking dish.

2.Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add flour and stir until sandy-coloured (2-3 minutes). Add milk in a few batches, whisking until smooth, then add mustard, cream and cheeses (except 2 tbsp each Gruyère and parmesan) and stir until cheese melts (2-3 minutes). Season to taste then pour cheese sauce over cauliflower.

3.Toss breadcrumbs in a bowl with oil and scatter over cauliflower with remaining cheese. Bake until golden and bubbling (40-45 minutes) and serve hot.

Styling by Lisa Featherby

Styling by Jerrie-Joy Redman-Lloyd