Cauliflower cheese with leeks

 

A new way with Cauliflower cheese.

The addition of leeks and a cheese sauce rich with Mascapone, sour cream, Dijon mustard and strong Cheddar and Caerphilly cheeses raised this dish to another level.

I'm always trying to find new ways to make cheese sauce without any flour and think I may have hit upon the winning combination. Mascapone is luscious, creamy but not so sweet that it can only be used in desserts. It is also thick which allows it to blanket some cauliflower without becoming too liquid and diluting the flavour. The only problem with this miracle cheese is it's expense. Like all cheese in BC, it is extortionate. But it's OK, I've seen a really simple recipe to make my own, requiring nothing more than some cream and some tartaric acid. Watch for a later post of my attempts.

Recipe : Cauliflower cheese with leeks

1 head of cauliflower, separated into florets

1 leek, washed and finely shredded

1 tsp butter and 1 tsp oil

Sauce

4 tbsp Mascapone cheese

2 tbsp sour cream

3/4 tsp Dijon mustard

1 cup grated strong cheese

First, heat the butter and oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the leek, cover, reduce heat and sweat for about 20 minutes to soften and sweeten, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the cauliflower. Boil until almost tender, about 12 minutes.

To make the sauce, combine the Mascapone and cream in a pan over gentle heat until melted. Remove from the heat, add the mustard and cheeses and mix well until the cheeses are melted. Set aside.

Drain the cauliflower and place in a baking dish, top with the leeks and pour over the sauce, sprinkle with a little black pepper. 

Grill (broil) until the top is golden brown and the dish is hot through.

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