Pretty as a Picture Cauliflower Cheese

A traditional English dish, cauliflower cheese is lovely to have as a vegetarian main meal or a side dish to accompany roast meat and potatoes.  I use a mix of white and purple cauliflower florets and they come out of the oven in a baking dish pretty as a picture with golden brown patches formed by melted cheese on top.  A sprinkling of chopped parsley adds some cheerful green specks.  If you've ever seen heads of cauliflowers growing in the field, they are stunningly beautiful and I think this simple recipe brings out their best.  Remove the outer leaves of the cauliflower and trim off the end.  Slice the stalk into thick pieces if you want to use them as well, together with the inner leaves which are perfectly edible.  Reserve the water you cook the cauliflower in - it makes an excellent stock for soup.

Serves 6 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS

• 1 head of cauliflower or 2 halves of different colour's, cut into florets roughly the same size
• 4 tablespoons plain flour
• 50g / 1¾oz  butter
• 2 cups milk
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Dijon or English mustard
• 1¼ cup grated Cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leave parsley, for garnishing

METHOD

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan with 1 tablespoon of salt.  Add cauliflower and bring it back to the boil.  The florets should be softened in this cooking process, but not to the point of falling apart.  Drain and set aside. 
2. In a medium size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Add flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon for about a minute, until the mixture bubbles.  Remove from heat.  Gradually pour in the milk, stirring constantly, until smooth.  Return to medium heat and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens.
3. Remove from heat and add the mustard, salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in 1 cup of the Cheddar cheese.
4. Transfer the cooked cauliflower florets to a baking dish.  Pour the sauce over and stir until combined.  Scatter remaining Cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese on top.
5. Bake in a preheated 180°C/350°F oven for 20-25 minutes, until bubbly and golden on top.
6. Garnish with chopped parsley.