by Clarissa Dickson Wright from Clarissa’s Comfort Food (Kyle Books)
Photography by Lisa Linder
An ultimate comfort dish; what can be more comforting than this cheap simple dish? I believe that people buy it ready made in supermarkets – sometimes I really do despair of the human race – but freshly made, with a good quality cauliflower, and there’s nothing more enjoyable & easy.
Serves 4
Ingredients
25g flour
25g butter
600ml milk
1 tsp mustard powder
Salt & pepper
100g mature Cheddar
1 cauliflower
25g grated Cheddar or Parmesan
(1 bay leaf – to add to the boiling water)
Method
Make a white sauce with the flour, butter & milk. Stir in the mustard powder, season, then add the 100g cheese; stir until it melts.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
Wash your cauliflower & drain. Cut off the root end & trim off most of the leaves. I like to leave some green on to hold the cauli together.
Cook the cauli in a pan of boiling salted water to which you have added a bay leaf to stop the horrid smell (don’t remove the bay leaf until you drain the vegetable).
When the cauli is just cooked, drain & put it in a deep dish & pour over the sauce.
Sprinkle on the grated cheese & cook in the oven until the sauce on the top is browning nicely. Serve with cold meat or bacon.
