Cauliflower cheese

[romily]

How do you prepare it?

Haven't done it for a while and lost my fail proof recipe, so as far as I can recall - really strong cheddar for the sauce,, steam cauliflower, pour sauce over (I always sprinkled crispy bacon nits on as well, top with extra cheese, bake in over.

Any extra tips to look out for - additions you use?

[treehugger]

I start off with a little diced onion and chopped bacon in some butter. When they are cooked I start making the roux. Add some plain white flour till all the butter is absorbed, colour very slightly. Add the milk slowly stirring all the time until you've got a nice thick sauce. Then add lots of grated mature cheddar. Pour over par-boiled cauliflower (I add par-boiled potatoes and broccoli), top with a sprinkling of grated cheddar and some bacon bits. Bung in the oven on 180-200 for half an hour or until the top is nicely browned. Eat with buttered brown bread.

[romily]

yes, that sounds very similar to what I remember! Only that I seem to recall I used cornflour for the roux, and added that after I added the milk, s I seem to be unable to make a roux with flower without things going lumpy?

[treehugger]

I've never used cornflour so not sure how to do that. I think the trick with avoiding lumps is to cook the roux just a bit once the butter has absorbed all the flour and then add the milk gradually, on a higher heat (medium for me usually) than you might have thought. If it goes wrong and gets a bit lumpy I use the handblender to wizz it all together again at the end.

[sprite]

to avoid lumps, i use a sieve to distribute the flour, then beat with a whisk. i have a nice flat one from ikea, i prefer it to the traditional shapes. and it has a silicone coating, so i can use it in a teflon pan.
or, when making a gravy, i put a bit of the liquid and some flour in a small jar, shake that until blended, add a bit more hot liquid, shake, then return to the main pot.

i've only made cauliflower cheese once, but it turned out well. i'll put the recipe here in a minute.

[sprite]

[sprite]

um. osrry bout the sideways...

[romily]

So melt the butter on low heat, add the flour in bits on low heat, and then heat to medium when you add the milk?

[treehugger]

Add the flour all at once and whisk around until it is all absorbed, then whisk a little bit longer till it turns just a little bit darker. Turn the heat up a bit and put the milk in bit by bit.

[romily]

I might just brave it - you know how it is with some things, they turn out wrong a few times and you loose the confidence to tray again (at least I do!)