2018 RECIPE FIFTEEN: Monday March 5th - cauliflower cheese

BACK STORY:
Looking for something delicious with cauliflower on an unexpected snow day while I was working from home. This has all the makings of things I love - cauliflower! cheese! - so I was eager to test it out.

NOTES:
I did a few replacements - half and half instead of milk (they don't sell milk in small enough bottles to justify buying for only 2 cups), and dijon mustard instead of powdered. I used a sharp cheddar from the wedge and put in the whole block, which was probably more than needed but you can't go wrong with more cheese, right? I boiled the cauliflower for about 6 minutes and let it dry while the sauce thickened. This would have been much better if there was twice as much cauliflower, or something else hearty in the sauce. It ended up being very saucy without much substance. Still good though!

STARS: 
3 out of 5. Might add some beans or more veggies to the leftovers.

RECIPE:
https://smittenkitchen.com/2014/10/cauliflower-cheese/

Cauliflower Cheese

I think a dish like this could have endless variations. You could infuse the milk, warming it, with a bay leaf or minced clove of garlic. You could stir chopped parsley into the sauce for color. If you don’t have dry mustard, you can add two teaspoons smooth Dijon or an English mustard to the sauce along with the cheese. You could sprinkle some plain breadcrumbs on top for extra crunch. Finally, I saw a version online in which the chefs had grilled pork sausages and sliced them up into the dish, baking them with the cheese sauce as well for more of a meal-in-one dish.

Serves 4 as a side

1 medium head (about 2 to 2 1/4 pounds) cauliflower
4 tablespoons (55 grams or 2 ounces) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons (30 grams or 1 ounce) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons mustard powder
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper or ground cayenne
2 cups (475 ml) milk, whole is best but low-fat will probably work just fine
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (about 155 grams or 5 1/2 ounces total) grated cheddar, the strongest you can get, preferably English or Irish
Chopped chives or flat-leaf parsley, for garnish (optional)

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Trim cauliflower and remove tough core. Cut into 1 to 2-inch florets. Steam (for about 10 minutes) or par-boil (6 to 7 minutes) florets until firm but tender. Drain, if needed, and spread florets on a towel so that it can wick out as much moisture as possible

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add flour and whisk to combine; cook for 1 minute to ensure you get rid of the floury taste. Add mustard powder and a pinch of cayenne or few grinds of black pepper, and stir to combine. Drizzle in milk in a thin, steady stream, whisking the whole time so that no lumps form. Season with salt and bring mixture to a simmer, stirring with a spoon; mixture should thicken. Stir in 1 1/4 cups cheddar, a handful at a time, letting each handful melt before adding the next. Taste sauce and adjust seasonings if needed.

Spread cauliflower florets in a 2-quart baking ovenproof baking dish. Spoon sauce over florets and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cheese. Bake until until bronzed and bubbly, about 30 minutes. For reference, f I wasn’t in such a rush to get dinner out on the table, I’d have baked mine a minute or two longer, up to 35 minutes.

Sprinkle with herbs, if desired. Eat with abandon