recipe - Classic Cauliflower Cheese - Nigel Slater

Classic Cauliflower Cheese

cauliflower
550ml of creamy milk
peppercorns
a couple of cloves
a bay leaf
50g of butter
50g of flour
125g grated mature cheddar
Add snippets of bacon or cooked mushrooms

optional
nutmeg
Mace
Top with sunflower or pumpkin seeds for a bit of crunch


Cauliflower cheese is the most mild and soothing of recipes. Historically, the head is left whole, and the dish is never browned in the oven, but I like my cauliflower cheese with a golden brown "au gratin" crust.

THE RECIPE
Break the cauliflower into florets, discarding any very thick stalks, then steam till tender. Make a rich cheese sauce by warming 550ml of creamy milk in a pan. Season with peppercorns, a couple of cloves and a bay leaf and bring to the boil. Turn off and allow to infuse for 15 minutes. Melt together 50g of butter and flour, stirring till it thickens, then whisk in the strained milk. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat, stir in 125g grated mature cheddar and simmer for 15 minutes. Finish with a little nutmeg. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower, scatter with a little Parmesan or cheddar and bake at 200C/gas mark 6 for 25-30 minutes. Serves 4.

THE TRICK
Traditionalists insist on serving the head whole. Ignore them and break it into pieces, otherwise you will end up with solid, undercooked stalks and overdone florets. Take time over the cheese sauce, seasoning it properly with bay, nutmeg and pepper, then let it simmer on a low heat for at least 15 minutes.

THE TWIST
Leave the cauliflower and sauce in all its pale ivory purity or bake it till the sauce turns golden. The choice is yours. Mace is a lovely old-fashioned addition to the sauce. Mix the cauliflower with broccoli. Top with sunflower or pumpkin seeds for a bit of crunch, or a layer of Parmesan. Add snippets of bacon or cooked mushrooms to the sauce.

from http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jun/05/nigel-slater-classic-cauliflower-cheese

#recipe        

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

recipe - Cream of Celery Soup - jamie Oliver

Recipe - Cream of Celery Soup Serves 4 Ingredients 1 head of organic celery, sliced 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 clove of garlic, chopped Small bunch of flat leaved parsley, roughly chopped 1 litre of vegetable stock 100ml single cream (plus a little extra for serving if desired) A good pinch of nutmeg and some black pepper to season A couple of tbsps of extra virgin olive oil (or a mix of oil and butter) Method 1. In a large saucepan or casserole, heat the oil gently and add the sliced celery, onion and garlic to the pan. Sweat over a gentle heat till vegetables are soft but not browned. This process will take around 15 minutes. 2. Add the chopped parsley and vegetable stock then season well with nutmeg and black pepper. 3. Simmer the soup for approx. 15 minutes then pour into a blender or food processor along with the single cream. 4. Process/puree at high speed till soup is smooth and creamy. Serve with an extra drizzle of cream if you wish. #recipe
Read more

recipe - Leek, smoked haddock and black pudding risotto - James Martin

Leek, smoked haddock and black pudding risotto By: James Martin Serves 4 Ingredients 1 tbsp Olive oil 175g black pudding, cut into thick slices, then each slice into quarters 300g-400g undyed smoked haddock fillet 25g Butter 3 Shallots, chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 100ml dry white wine 250g Arborio or Carnaroli rice 1.2 litres fresh fish or vegetable stock, (home-made or shop-bought, ready-made in a tub) 2 medium leeks, thinly sliced freshly ground salt and black pepper 2–3 tbsp Mascarpone 25g finely grated Parmesan 2 tbsp chopped parsley 1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Fry the black pudding pieces briskly for 1-2 minutes until crisp on the outside. Remove and set aside. 2. Skin the haddock and check carefully for any bones by running against the grain of the flesh with your fingertips. If you find any bones, pluck them out with your fingers or use a pair of tweezers. Cut the fish into 1cm square chunks and set aside. 3. Heat the butter in a wide shallow pan. Add the sh
Read more

recipe - Spaghetti in the bag - River Cafe

Spaghetti in the bag serves 4 350g spaghetti 4 garlic cloves peeled and crushed 2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes drained 1 red chilli de-seeded finely sliced 500g cooked prawns 1 lemon - juice 1 lemon quartered 3tbsp basil 120ml white wine extra virgin olive oil heat 2 tbsp olive oil - 2 garlic cloves - cook gently - add tomatoes and sea salt - reduce to thick sauce. separate pan - 3 tbsp olive oil - 2 garlic cloves - cook gently - chili and prawns - heat through - add lemon juice heat oven 200c cook spaghetti 7 minutes - drain and season - 3 tbsp olive oil cut 4 50cm squares of foil - drizzle oil 1/4 each of spaghetti - sauce - prawns - basil - season fold leaving 1 side open - put in 2tbsp wine 7-8 minutes, serve with 1/4 lemon From River Cafe Cookbook Pasta and Ravioli #recipe
Read more