Ingredients

  • ½ small cauliflower
  • 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
  • 30 g unsalted butter
  • 70 g mature cheddar
  • 70 g blue cheese
  • 10 g parmesan

For the sauce

  • 30 g Neill’s Golden Fleece Plain Flour
  • 30 g butter
  • 1 shallot
  • ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 100 ml whipping cream
  • 300 ml milk
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 cloves
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Method

The basic sauce:

  1. Melt the butter and add the flour. Cook over a medium heat until golden, 3-5 minutes.
  2. In a separate pan bring to the boil the milk, cream, bay leaf, shallot and cloves.
  3. Remove from heat and slowly add the butter and flour beating it into the roux.
  4. Cook out for 10 minutes and season with sea salt and Dijon mustard.

Putting it all together:

  1. Cut cauliflower into florets.
  2. Splash of rapeseed oil and butter, when butter is melted add fennel seeds to temper for 30 seconds. Add cauliflower and sauté until golden brown and starting to soften.
  3. Stir half the cheese through the béchamel sauce and add to the cauliflower.
  4. Check seasoning and place in gratin dish with the remaining cheese and place under a hot grill until golden brown.

Check out our video for a step-by-step guide to this recipe: ‘Not your normal’ Cauliflower Cheese

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