Niamh Shields burst onto the blogging scene in 2007 and has since snapped up countless accolades for her food writing by The Times, The Telegraph and The Stylist, to name a few. Niamh is passionate about cooking, and when she's not travelling the world collecting culinary tips, she's at home concocting new and interesting meals for friends and family, including her foody fledgling niece. Here, Niamh shares all her know-how for delicious and easy home-cooking.
Cauliflower cheese to sooth the nerves and iron out your soul
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It’s hot outside, I know. But let us not deceive ourselves, it is October and that will all change soon, in fact, it's changing already. So, I am going to help you to prepare for that first grim October day with a lovely comforting recipe for cauliflower cheese.
A classic, no? What feelings does it evoke for you? It makes me think of nice warm fires and toasty toes in slippers. Dark nights closing in and mulled wine. Comfort, pure comfort, with a little hint of spice.
I don’t go to the trouble of making a proper white sauce here. I prefer the simplicity and luxury of cream. It’s crap outside so lets make it very nice inside. There is a little pre-amble but it is worth it. I recommend flavouring the cream first with bay leaves, garlic and pepper corns. This gives the dish some warm aromatics and a little bit of oomph. Layers of flavour that will give your cauliflower cheese its own X Factor.
For cheese, use your favourite. I like a good stinky cheddar like Keens or Montgomery, I also love making a Cauliflower Blue Cheese with a good pongy Roquefort. Up to you, choose you poison.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30-35 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 cauliflowers, broken into 1-inch florets
500ml cream
2 bay leaves
8 black peppercorns
4 cloves garlic, smashed roughly under a knife or saucepan
300g cheese of your choice, a strong cheddar works very well
3 slices good stale bread blitzed to create breadcrumbs
½ tsp English mustard
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180 deg C.
- Add the bay leaves, peppercorns and garlic to the cream and bring to just before the boil on a medium heat. Take off the heat and allow to infuse for 30 minutes. Strain through a sieve.
- Grate your cheese and add most of it to the cream with the mustard. Reserve some to sprinkle on top.
- Lay out the cauliflower florets in a layer in a baking dish that will accommodate them.
- Pour the cheesey cream on top and mix thoroughly.
- Combine the breadcrumbs with the remaining cheese and sprinkle on top.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes until the cauliflower is cooked through and soft (but not mushy).
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