Episode 2: Cauliflower Cheese

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°c
2. Break down 1 cauliflower into leaves, stalks and florets. Wash.
3. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, lightly salt, and carefully drop in the cauliflower florets.
4. Cook until just tender; remove from the pot with a sieve or slotted spoon, run under cold water or place into a bowl of ice water. Reserve the cooking water.

Cauliflower sauce

• 1 onion – diced
• 2 cloves of garlic – finely chopped
• Cauliflower stalks and some leaves – finely sliced
• Cauliflower stock, i.e. the water you cooked the cauliflower in
• Salt and pepper (preferably white)
• Olive oil
• Cheese – grated (cheese of your choice)

1. In a pot on a medium heat add a splash of olive oil, then the onions and garlic, stir and cook until soft and transparent,
2. Add the sliced cauliflower trimmings, season with salt and pepper, cook for 5–10mins, stir occasionally.
3. Add some cauliflower stock and cover with a lid.
4. Cook until very soft, be careful not to burn, reduce the heat if seems too hot… every stove is different!
5. Place in a food blender and process until smooth (carefully, it’s hot!), add cauliflower stock as needed,
6. *add cheese. Season.

To finish:

Mix the cooked florets with the cauliflower sauce, pour into a baking dish, then cover with a *mixture of breadcrumbs and grated cheese.

Bake in the oven until golden brown on top.

Serve!

*To make this dish either dairy free, gluten free or both, leave out the cheese and/or use gluten-free breadcrumbs.

Note: to make your own breadcrumbs use bread that’s a couple of days old – i.e. stale, NOT mouldy or hard as a rock!

Break up into a food processor then pulse until it becomes breadcrumbs.

You can toast the breadcrumbs on a tray in the oven for extra flavour and ‘crunch’.