Serves 2 (for more people, just scale up quantities)
This is a very simple recipe that produces two delicious alternative ways of preparing cauliflower for a simple mid-week supper or accompaniment to a more substantial weekend feast.
Time
1 hour altogether
Ingredients
One large cauliflower
PLUS…
For the steaks
Four tbsp greek or just plain natural yoghurt
Garlic (or your favourite flavoured) olive oil
Morroccan seasoning (or any spice mix you fancy)
Freshly ground salt and pepper
For the ’n’ cheese
30 g plain flour
30g butter
300 ml semi-skimmed milk
115 g hard cheese eg cheddar, red leicester, grated.
Freshly ground salt and pepper
Method
Set the oven to 180 fan or 195 conventional.
- Cut two slices out of the middle of the cauliflower about 2-3 cm thick and set aside.
- Brush both sides of the steaks with the yoghurt and lay on an oiled baking sheet.
- Season generously with your favourite spice mix and some salt and pepper, then set aside.
- Break the rest into florets.
For the ’n’ cheese…
- Roast the florets on an oiled baking sheet for 30 minutes.
- While they’re roasting, make a cheese sauce as follows:
- Melt the butter in a small non-stick saucepan over a low heat.
- When it’s all melted, tip in the flour and stir until thoroughly mixed.
- Stir continuously with a wooden spoon for 2 mins until the mixture froths a little (this ensures the gluten grains in the flour burst and don’t give a bitter taste to the sauce).
- DO NOT RUSH THIS PART! Now begin adding the milk a little at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition until the mixture thickens and becomes smooth again. At the start, it will go back to a single lump that looks a bit like yellow playdough – DON’T WORRY! Each time you add a little milk, the sauce will get a little looser until you have a smooth, velvety white sauce. Start with a tablespoonful and work up gradually.
- Season with salt and pepper and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes, stirring regularly (every 30s or so).
- Now add all but a small handful of the grated cheese.
- Stir until all the cheese has melted and the sauce is creamy and smooth again.
- Remove from the heat and set aside.
- When the florets are roasted, removed with a slotted spoon and place in a smallish ovenproof dish that holds all the florets in a layer about two florets deep.
- Pour over the sauce and finish by sprinkling over the reserved handful of grated cheese.
Cooking
- When you have the steaks ’n’ cheese ready, put both into the oven and roast for 30 mins.
- Turn the steaks halfway through the cooking time and season the new top sides.
- When cooked, remove, transfer to warmed plates and eat.