Cauliflower bake with creamy Besciamella sauce
- 1 large cauliflower, cut into florets
- 200g Provolone or mozzarella cheese, cut into 1cm cubes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- 60g unsalted butter
- 60g 00 flour [alternatively, plain (all-purpose) flour]
- 600ml full-cream milk (cold)
- 1 bay leaf
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- Sea salt
Preheat the oven to 200°C conventional oven/ 180°C fan-forced (400° Fahrenheit/Gas 6). Grease a baking dish with butter or margarine.
Place the cauliflower in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat, then cook for a further 5 minutes or until just tender. Drain the cauliflower.
To make the Besciamella sauce, melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to form a smooth paste (a roux). Allow the flour and butter mixture to cook for a minute (but do not allow it to brown). Remove from the heat. Slowly pour the cold milk into the roux, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth. Add the bay leaf and return to medium heat. Cook, stirring with the wooden spoon until the Besciamella comes to the boil and thickens (approximately 10 minutes). Remove from heat. Season with salt to taste and stir in freshly grated nutmeg. Set aside to cool slightly.
Spread 1/2 of the Besciamella sauce over the base of the baking dish. Arrange the cauliflower in the baking dish on top of the Besciamella layer. Scatter the cheese over the cauliflower. Pour the remaining Besciamella sauce evenly over the cauliflower mixture in the baking dish.
Bake for 25 minutes. Change to the grill setting of the oven (same oven temperature). Brown under the grill for 3 minutes or until lightly golden on top. Cut the Cauliflower bake with creamy Besciamella sauce into 4 portions and serve – buon appetito.
