This is the ultimate comfort food – a whole head of roasted cauliflower smothered with a rich cheese sauce and an almond crumb on top for some crunch. Perfect for a meatless meal.
Whole roasted cauliflower cheese sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 large head cauliflower, leaves removed
Cheese sauce
40g butter
40g plain flour
½ tsp smoked paprika
550ml whole milk
2 tsp mustard
180g cheddar cheese, grated
Salt to taste
Parsley
Almond crumb
3 Tbsp breadcrumbs
½ lemon, grated zest only
2 Tbsp sliced almonds
1 Tbsp parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
2. To make the almond crumb, combine the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, almonds and parsley in a bowl. Mix in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Place the cauliflower in the water and boil for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
4. Cheese sauce: melt the butter in a medium pot, stir in the flour, and add the paprika. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and gradually add the milk, whisking continuously. Add the mustard and cheese and whisk until the cheese has melted. Check the seasoning and add salt if needed.
5. Place the cooked cauliflower in a baking dish. Pour over the cheese sauce. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the almond crumb all over, then return to the oven and bake for a further 15-20 minutes.
6. Serve garnished with some more fresh parsley.