Stilton cauliflower gratin
This grown-up take on cauli cheese makes a particularly special side dish for a Sunday roast, but it also works as a centrepiece in its own right with a green salad. A scattering of hazelnuts on top adds welcome crunch; use whichever nuts you have to hand – or even just a handful of toasted breadcrumbs.
- Serves4
- CourseSide
- Prepare10 mins
- Cook40 mins
- Total time50 mins
- Plusresting
Ingredients
- 1 Essential Cauliflower (about 800g)
- 200ml Essential Double Cream
- 180g Long Clawson Stilton Strength 4, crumbled
- ½ x 25g pack lemon thyme, leaves picked
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 20g blanched hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Separate the leaves from the cauliflower, then cut them into 4cm pieces. Trim the stem, then cut the rest of the cauliflower into florets. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the florets for 3 minutes, adding the leaves for the final minute, then drain.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, mix together the double cream, 120g Stilton and most of the thyme leaves. In a small bowl, mix together the cornflour with 1 tbsp water until smooth, then add to the pan; season and cook over a medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth and thickened slightly. Carefully tip the cauliflower into the pan and stir to combine.
Pour the mixture into a 1-litre baking dish, sprinkle over the remaining 60g Stilton and bake for 15 minutes. Scatter over the hazelnuts, then bake for a further 15 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbling and the cauliflower is tender. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before sprinkling over the remaining thyme leaves.
Nutritional
Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe
Energy | 2,300kJ/ 555kcals |
|---|---|
Fat | 45g |
Saturated Fat | 27g |
Carbohydrates | 20g |
Sugars | 6.9g |
Fibre | 4.5g |
Protein | 17g |
Salt | 1g |