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Could this be the best Cauliflower Cheese ever invented?


This recipe for Whole Roast Cauliflower Cheese is adapted from my cookbook. It transforms the humble cauliflower cheese into a show-stopping centrepiece. A whole cauliflower, including its leaves, is roasted intact with nutmeg until golden, then blanketed in a molten, bubbling cheese sauce made with Red Leicester for a vivid twist.
Choose a cauliflower with plenty of leaves, as they crisp up beautifully in the oven, and pair it with a simple green salad or crunchy radishes to cut through the richness.
My inspiration came from a visit to Brockley Market, where my daughter and I discovered vibrant orange cauliflowers from Perry Court Farm. Their colour reminded me of cheese sauce, and with the addition of a delicious Red Leicester from Mon’s Cheese, I leaned into the orange theme for an extra bright and flavourful dish.
For the sauce, I used buckwheat flour, which adds a nutty depth and is a good environmental choice, but plain or wholemeal flour works just as well. To elevate it further, I topped the cauliflower with crispy Fosse Meadow smoked streaky bacon and some fresh thyme, but it’s just as satisfying without.
Obviously cheese and bacon hold both a hefty calorie count and carbon footprint so I’d enjoy this dish as a treat to be enjoyed on occasion. I won’t go into it in detail now but within my currently omnivorous diet I choose to eat less but better meat when my family and I feel the need for some cheese or meat.
Serve this indulgent dish with a crisp, acidic white wine like Picpoul, and let the rich, cheesy goodness shine.
To roast the cauliflower:
To make the cheese sauce:
Optional garnish: grilled streaky bacon, freshly cut thyme
Preheat oven to 190C (fan)
To roast the cauliflower: Place the whole cauliflower on a large piece of parchment paper (big enough to wrap around the whole cauliflower), place two slices of butter on top and drizzle generously with olive oil. Season with sea salt and ground nutmeg then wrap the cauliflower up and place it in a large ovenproof pot with a lid or on a baking tray in a hot oven for one hour or until fork tender when pierced with a knife. Open, fold back the parchment and return to the oven for another 15 minutes or until it begins to blacken slightly.
Meanwhile to make the cheese sauce: heat 50g butter in a pan over a low heat, once melted, stir in 60g of wholewheat or plain flour (e.g. buckwheat, spelt or wheat) a teaspoon of mustard powder or mustard a quarter teaspoon of turmeric and cook for two minutes, whilst continuing to stir. Next whisk in 500ml of whole milk a third at a time, making sure you whisk out any lumps each time. Return to the boil, reduce to a simmer and stir in 150g of grated red leicester until melted.
To make the whole roast cauliflower cheese: Place the roasted fork tender cauliflower onto an ovenproof serving dish. Drizzle with the cheese sauce then sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Set the oven to grill-oven at 190C and return the cauliflower to the oven. Cook for five to 15 minutes or until slightly charred and bubbling.
Optionally garnish with fresh thyme and grilled bacon. I served the dish with a simple green salad and radishes.
By TOM HUNT
Tom's manifesto, 'Root to Fruit' demonstrates how we can all become part of the solution, supporting a delicious, biodiverse and regenerative food system, giving us the skills and knowledge to shop, eat and cook sustainably, whilst eating healthier, better-tasting food for no extra cost.
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