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Whole roasted cauliflower cheese with oat

cauliflower cheese

Made to share, this whole roasted cauliflower cheese with oat crumble is all about flavour over fuss. Made with a whole cauliflower, a punchy, cheesy béchamel and a crisp oat crumble topping, it’s the kind of dish you bring to the table for everyone to dig into.

Serves

2–4 (depending on the size of your cauliflower)

Ingredients

For the cauliflower

For the cheese sauce

For the oat crumble

To finish

Method

  1. Steam the cauliflower

    Steam the cauliflower for 18 minutes, until just tender but still holding its shape. If your cauliflower is larger or smaller, adjust the timing slightly. It should be soft, but it should hold its shape.

  2. Make the béchamel

    Place the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat and allow it to melt gently. Stir in the flour to form a paste. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring continuously, to cook out the raw flour taste. This is your roux. Pour in a little of the milk at a time, whisking well after each addition to keep the sauce smooth. Once the mixture has loosened, add the rest of the milk gradually. Keep stirring over a medium heat until the sauce thickens and becomes smooth and glossy.

  3. Prepare the cheese sauce

    Take the béchamel and turn it into a really punchy cheese sauce by stirring through grated mature cheddar.

    Season well with:

    dried onion
    vegetable bouillon instead of salt
    black pepper

    The idea here is to make the sauce a little stronger and more intensely flavoured than usual, as the cauliflower itself is unseasoned and will absorb flavour as it bakes.

  4. Chill before baking

    Once the cauliflower has been steamed, allow it to cool, then chill it before baking. This helps it hold together in the oven and stops it breaking down too quickly when topped with sauce.

  5. Assemble the dish

    Place the chilled cauliflower into an ovenproof dish or ovenproof tray. Spoon over the cheese sauce generously, letting it coat the cauliflower well. Don’t worry if it looks a little messy. It’s all about the flavour.

    Scatter over:

    extra grated cheddar
    a generous handful of oat crumble

    There may be some cheese and crumble around the edges of the dish, and that’s absolutely fine.

  6. Bake

    Bake at 230°C for 8 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbling. If your oven doesn’t go that high, simply cook it at the highest temperature you can and leave it in a little longer.

  7. Finish and serve

    To serve, finish with:

    a drizzle of American mustard
    chopped parsley
    a drizzle of rapeseed oil

    Bring it straight to the table as a family-style sharing dish.

  8. Chef’s tip

    Don’t aim for neat. This is one of those dishes that looks a bit rustic coming out of the oven, but that’s part of the appeal.

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