This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
Special because its lighter. Adapted from a BBC GoodFood recipe at 251 calories per portion. Instead of the chives, we served with crispy organic streaky bacon, grilled to within an inch of its life, so a bit more calorific, but still healthy! Serves 4 but husband and I scoffed it all up between us as a main course one evening.
- 400ml semi-skimmed milk
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 large cauliflower, cut into florets
- 75g extra-mature cheddar, coarsely grated
- 25g Parmesan, coarsely grated
- 1 tbsp snipped chives
- 1½ tsp Dijon mustard
- 150ml buttermilk
- Mix 2 tbsp of the milk with the cornflour and set aside. Press the garlic cloves in a garlic crusher to smash – but not crush – them. Put them in a pan with the rest of the milk and heat until just coming to the boil. Immediately remove from the heat and leave to infuse.
- Steam the cauliflower florets for about 5 mins until just cooked but still with a bit of bite.
- Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the cauliflower into a large colander, drain well, then transfer to a shallow ovenproof dish, about 1.5 litres.
- Stir the cornflour mix into the warm milk. Return the pan to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring, until thickened and smooth. Remove from the heat, discard the garlic, then stir in the Cheddar until it melts. Stir in the mustard and buttermilk, and season with pepper. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower to evenly coat, then sprinkle over the Parmesan. Bake for about 25 mins or until bubbling round the sides and golden on top. Scatter over chives and serve.