
Oh-la-la! Cauliflower cheese with all the bells and whistles. Dish it up for mum on Mother's Day.
Ingredients
—Cheese Sauce 2 level Tbsp butter 2 level Tbsp standard flour 400ml (13-14 fl oz) whole milk, cold ¼ tsp salt Dab of French mustard ½ cup tightly packed grated vintage cheddar cheese 1 medium cauliflower 2 slices sour dough cut into cubes (about 1½ cups cubes) 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp chopped parsley 1 Tbsp snipped chives Grated vintage cheddar cheese for sprinkling Smoked paprika Flaky sea salt
Method
—1 Heat olive oil in a small frying pan (skillet) over a medium-high heat. Add butter when it is hot, then once butter is sizzling, add bread cubes. Cook until golden, turning them often. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Crush with the end of a rolling pin or similar or chop to a coarse crumb.
2 Trim cauliflower and transfer to a steaming basket set above a saucepan of boiling water. Salt cauliflower, cover with a lid and steam until nearly tender (about 15 minutes), or until done to your liking.
3 Make the cheese sauce next. Gently melt the butter in a small saucepan, then remove pan from heat and stir in the flour. Bend in the milk one-third at a time using a small wire whisk. Return pan to the heat, blend in salt and mustard and stir constantly until it is boiling. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring, then remove pan from heat. If the sauce is very thick, whisk in a little more milk. Stir in cheese and beat until smooth. Cover pan with a lid (the sauce will keep hot while the cauliflower finishes cooking).
4 Remove cauliflower from steaming basket, transferring it to a dry board lined with paper towels. Let it rest for a minute, then transfer to a heated serving platter. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
5 Pour over the cheese sauce. Scatter with breadcrumbs, parsley, chives and cheese and dust with smoked paprika. Serve immediately.
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