Cauliflower Cheese

[Fishtigua]

I can't believe the price of a cauli at the moment. 2 quid at Marks. I saw a cheapie this afternoon for £1.29 and had the craving for a big cauli cheese.

Made a nice, silky cheese sauce; par-boiled all the florettes and mixed with the sauce, more grated cheese and a sprinkle of smoked hot paprika. Baked till bubbling, then browned with the grill.
My word, I haven't had such a nice side dish for ages. I've missed it, proper autumn food.

What's your favourite way with a cauli?

[Mobile Chicane]

As you've done it, but with frazzled bacon / chorizo on top. A sprinkling of breadcrumbs plus some Parmesan helps the flavour I think.

But, £2 for a cauliflower is just ridiculous. Only I've a feeling that with the poor growing season this 'summer', fruit and veg are going to become ridiculously expensive.

I already see it with apples at £2.49/Kg, when they were £1.49/Kg a year ago.

[miniman]

Mobile Chicane said:

As you've done it, but with frazzled bacon / chorizo on top. A sprinkling of breadcrumbs plus some Parmesan helps the flavour I think.

Are you single?

[Pferdestarke]

Poor growing season my arse. Try opportunist PLC's ripping us faithful consumers off left, right and er, in the veg aisle.

I can barely bring myself to buy an pack of oranges from Sainsbury's at the moment.

[Mobile Chicane]

miniman said:

Mobile Chicane said:

As you've done it, but with frazzled bacon / chorizo on top. A sprinkling of breadcrumbs plus some Parmesan helps the flavour I think.

Are you single?

No.

[Mobile Chicane]

Pferdestarke said:

Poor growing season my arse. Try opportunist PLC's ripping us faithful consumers off left, right and er, in the veg aisle.

Of course!

However I've long-since fruit-and-veg shopped at Lidl and even there, prices are heading for the stratosphere.

I can't help thinking we're in for a particularly bad year: in my garden I've had no apples, pears, or figs at all, and around and about where I live, grain harvests look late and scanty.

[richwig83]

Love him or hate him.... This is a good recipe, slightly left field but very nice!

http://kitchen-delights.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/jam...

[condor]

I had cauli cheese last week and I think I paid 79 or 85p for mine in Lidls.

I steam my cauli florets in the microwave for 5-6 mins as opposed to boiling them on the hob.

[Fishtigua]

condor said:

I steam my cauli florets in the microwave for 5-6 mins as opposed to boiling them on the hob.

I steamed mine in the microwave too but I got little brown spots on some florets, like mini burn spots. Someone said, ages ago, that this maybe due to adding salt to the water. Is this true?

[condor]

I don't add salt to the water and don't get brown spots so that might be it.
As a btw I was always told you're not supposed to add salt before microwaving but to add it afterwards.

I make the cheese sauce on the hob, then season that bfore adding the steamed florets.

[gobuddygo]

Just thought I would give you my take on this, florets in salted cold water bring to the boil then drain.

Plain flour and butter on the hob to make a roux, add milk, pinch of cayenne pepper, sea salt, ground black pepper and a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, chuck in loads of strong Cheddar and a bit of parmesan.

30 minutes in a medium oven, perfect every time, used this recipe for years.