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Ploughman's cauliflower cheese
Serves: 5-5 as a main
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Maja Smend
Ploughman's cauliflower cheese
We've added all of the best bits from a Ploughman's plate to our cauli-cheese, to make the perfect side for a Sunday roast
Serves: 5-5 as a main
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time:
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
651Kcal
Fat
41gr
Saturates
24gr
Carbs
32gr
Sugars
15gr
Fibre
4gr
Protein
37gr
Salt
2.8gr
Liberty Fennell
Liberty Fennell is a freelance food stylist and recipe writer who began her food career when she started her travelling supper club ‘Your House At Mine' in 2013. You will never find her kitchen without flat-leaf parsley, lemons or garlic.
Liberty Fennell
Liberty Fennell is a freelance food stylist and recipe writer who began her food career when she started her travelling supper club ‘Your House At Mine' in 2013. You will never find her kitchen without flat-leaf parsley, lemons or garlic.
Ingredients
- 1 x extra-large cauliflower or 2 medium cauliflowers
- 70g butter, plus extra to grease
- 70g plain flour
- 750ml milk
- 1 tbsp English mustard
- a pinch of ground nutmeg
- 175g West Country farmhouse mature cheddar, coarsely grated
- 2 x 110g packs shredded ham hock
- 75g silverskin pickled onions, halved
- chopped parsley to garnish, optional
Step by step
Get ahead
Prep to the end of step 5 up to 24 hours ahead, cover and chill. Cook for an extra 10-15 mins from chilled, until piping hot.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Prepare your cauliflower by chopping off the leaves (but keep aside) then cut into large florets, 5-6cm wide. Add to a very large pan of salted boiling water and cook for 4-5 minutes until just tender but still with some bite to them. Drain well.
- Chop the cauliflower leaves into bite-sized pieces and add to a large buttered baking dish (at least 20cm x 30cm on the base). Tip the cauliflower florets into the dish.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan on a medium heat, add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously, until it looks slightly sandy. Add a quarter of the milk, whisking together until combined and thick, then gradually add the rest of the milk, whisking throughout until you have used up all of the milk and you have a thick creamy sauce.
- Add the mustard, nutmeg, and half each of the grated cheese and ham hock. Cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes until the cheese has melted. Season to taste.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower, covering everything well. Scatter with the remaining grated cheddar and ham hock and the halved silverskin onions.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cauliflower is tender and the sauce is golden and bubbling. Top with black pepper and chopped parsley; serve with salad and crusty bread, or as a side to a roast.