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Spiced cauliflower cheese

Name: Spiced cauliflower cheese
Yield: Serves 6-8
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 litre whole milk; ½ onion; 1 clove; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 bay leaf; 2 small cauliflowers; Drizzle sunflower oil; 50g butter; 50g plain flour; 100g Lancashire cheese; 75ml double cream; Whole nutmeg for grating; Pinch chilli flakes (optional); 25g cheddar cheese, grated; For the dukkah; 100g shelled hazelnuts; 2 tbsp each cumin, coriander and fennel seeds; 4 tbsp sesame seeds

Published: 14 Sep 18
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Complete your Sunday roast with a serving of our lightly spiced cauliflower cheese. It’s made with double cream, plenty of Lancashire cheese and a pinch of coriander and cumin for a decadent side that won’t stick around for long.

Keep the cheese appreciation running with a show-stopping cauliflower cheese gratin with leeks.

Easy
April 2018

Test kitchen approved

Serves 6-8
Hands-on time 40 min. Oven time 20-25 min, plus infusing

Keep the cheese appreciation running with a show-stopping cauliflower cheese gratin with leeks.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 459kcals
Fat: 35.8g (14.3g saturated)
Protein: 16.5g
Carbohydrates: 15.5g (9.1g sugars)
Fibre: 4.5g
Salt: 0.5g

For 8

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Ingredients

1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 litre whole milk
½ onion
1 clove
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
2 small cauliflowers
Drizzle sunflower oil
50g butter
50g plain flour
100g Lancashire cheese
75ml double cream
Whole nutmeg for grating
Pinch chilli flakes (optional)
25g cheddar cheese, grated

For the dukkah

100g shelled hazelnuts
2 tbsp each cumin, coriander and fennel seeds
4 tbsp sesame seeds

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Method

Heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5. Toast the cumin and coriander in a small dry pan for 2 minutes, then set aside. Put the milk, onion, clove, cinnamon, a pinch of salt and the bay in a pan and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low; infuse for 20 minutes.
For the dukkah, toast the hazelnuts for 2-3 minutes in a dry non-stick frying pan over a medium heat until just starting to turn golden, then add all the seeds and toast for 2 minutes until fragrant. Tip into a mini food processor or pestle and mortar and whizz/grind to a coarse mixture.
Break the cauliflowers into florets and put in a large baking dish. Toss with a little sunflower oil and a pinch of salt, then roast (with the chicken, if you’re serving them together) for about 25 minutes until golden.

Strain the infused milk into a jug (discard the solids). Melt the butter in a pan on a low heat, then stir in the flour and keep stirring for 2-3 minutes until it smells biscuity. Add the toasted cumin and coriander, gradually whisk in the infused milk until smooth, then simmer for 10 minutes. Heat the grill (if you have one).
Stir in the Lancashire cheese until melted, then add the cream. Grate in some nutmeg and add the chilli flakes (if using).
Pour the cheese sauce over the roasted cauliflower and sprinkle the grated cheddar on top. Grill the cauliflower cheese for about 10 minutes until golden brown on top (if you don’t have a grill, bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes with the stuffing for the chicken). Sprinkle with the dukkah to serve.