Cauliflower Leek Cheddar Pie With Mustard Thyme Pastry Food

CAULIFLOWER CHEESE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Generously oil a 9-inch pie pan.
• Potato Crust: Place 2 firmly packed cups grated raw potatoes in a colander placed over a bowl; toss the potatoes with 1/2 teaspoon salt and set aside for 10 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water. Combine the drained potatoes, 1 large egg, beaten, and 1/4 cup grated onion in a medium bowl. Pat the potato mixture into the oiled pie pan, building up the sides of the crust with lightly floured fingers. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown, brushing the crust with oil after the first 20 minutes to crisp it.
• Remove crust from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, beat together the eggs, milk, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper in a small bowl; set aside.
• Blanch cauliflower. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cauliflower, onions, garlic, and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining salt; cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the parsley, basil, and thyme; cook, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.
• Layer the baked potato crust with 1/2 of the cheese, then the cauliflower mixture, then the remaining cheese. Pour the milk mixture over the top and lightly dust with paprika. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until set. Remove from the oven and serve.

CAULIFLOWER GRATIN WITH LEEKS AND WHITE CHEDDAR

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Slice cauliflower head lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices, including the core and leaves. (Some smaller bits will fall away: That's fine. You'll use them as well.)
• Drizzle some olive oil onto the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. (An oval, square or rectangular dish will all work.) Layer about a third of the cauliflower along the bottom, and about a third of the leeks. Season with salt and pepper, and repeat until all of the cauliflower and leeks are used. (Don't worry about perfectly layering them.) Season with salt and pepper and drizzle cream over. Scatter cheese on top, and season again with salt and pepper. Lightly cover with foil and place in the oven.
• Bake until cauliflower is nearly tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until cream has thickened and reduced nearly completely and the top is golden brown and crisp, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before eating.

MUSTARD-PARMESAN WHOLE ROASTED CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the bottom of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
• Remove the leaves from the cauliflower, then trim the stem flush with the bottom of the head so the cauliflower sits flat on the prepared baking sheet. Rub the outside of each head with the cut garlic.
• Whisk together the oil, 3 tablespoons mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper in a small bowl.
• Put the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet and brush the entire outside and inside with the mustard-oil mixture. Roast the cauliflower until nicely charred and tender (a long skewer inserted in the center of the cauliflower should pass through easily), 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let rest for a few minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the parsley and Parmesan in a small bowl. Brush the outside of the roasted cauliflower heads all over with the remaining 1 tablespoon mustard and generously sprinkle with the Parmesan mixture.
• Cut the cauliflower into thick wedges and serve on plates with a sprinkle of salt, lemon wedges and any extra Parmesan mixture.

CAULIFLOWER, LEEK & CHEDDAR PIE WITH MUSTARD & THYME PASTRY

Steps:

• For the pastry, put the flour in a food processor with the butter, mustard and thyme leaves, and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 4-6 tbsp cold water and pulse again until it forms a ball. Wrap and chill for 30 mins.
• For the filling, break the cauliflower into small bite-sized florets (keep the leaves for stock or roast until crisp and serve alongside the pie), and chop the stalk into 2cm pieces. Steam in a steamer or steamer basket set over a pan of simmering water for 8-10 mins until the stalk pieces are just tender, but not cooked through. Remove from the steamer and leave to cool and steam-dry on a plate.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan over a low heat and fry the leeks with a pinch of salt for 10 mins until softened. Add a splash of water if they start to turn lightly golden and cook until the water has evaporated. Remove from the heat.
• Cut off a third of the pastry and set aside. Roll out the rest on a floured work surface to a round large enough to line a 25cm wide and 7cm deep pie dish (enamel pie dishes work well for this). Line the dish and set aside.
• Whisk the eggs in a large bowl with some seasoning. Reserve a little of the beaten egg in a small bowl, then fold the cheese, cauliflower and leeks into the remaining egg. Tip the filling into the pie dish and spread out evenly. Roll out the remaining pastry and use to cover the pie, using some of the reserved egg to seal it to the edge. Crimp the edge and trim any excess, then chill for 20 mins.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Brush the top of the pie with the remaining beaten egg and bake for 45 mins until golden and crisp on top. Stand for 10 minutes before serving with roast potatoes.

CAULIFLOWER CHEESE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a shallow 9 inch baking dish or pie pan.
• To make crust: Use a cheese cloth to squeeze extra liquid from the grated potatoes. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine potato, onion, egg, salt and flour. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pie pan, and pat it down with a rubber spatula or your fingertips. Bake for 30 minutes. Brush the crust with oil, and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove crust from oven, and reduce the oven's temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• To make the filling: In a large frying pan over a high heat, heat the oil until hot. Reduce the temperature to medium and saute onion, garlic, basil, thyme, salt, pepper and paprika in the hot oil; cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir the cauliflower into the pan and cook for 15 minutes.
• Spread 1/2 of the cheese onto the potato crust. Spoon the vegetables on top of the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the sauteed vegetables. Beat the milk and eggs together in a small bowl, and then pour over the vegetables and cheese. Sprinkle paprika over the mixture.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the custard is set and the top of the pie is slightly browned.

CAULIFLOWER CHEESE WITH LEEK BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Remove the green outer leaves from the cauliflower as well as the thick white stalk, taking care not to break off the florets. Cut a deep cross in the bottom of the stem and steam it whole over a pan of boiling water until slightly tender but not cooked through. The cauliflower florets should still be firm. Remove the cauliflower from the heat and leave to cool.
• Place the butter in a large saucepan and melt over medium heat. Lower the heat and add the finely chopped leeks. Cook until the leeks are softening slightly but not cooked thoroughly. Remove 1 tablespoon of the leeks and keep to one side. Add the flour to the remaining leeks in the pan and stir. The flour will become lumpy, but continue to stir for 2 - 3 minutes. This will cook the flour and soften it to make a better sauce. Add the large pinch of salt and the mustard powder and stir again. Turn up the heat to medium and add the milk all at once. Stir briskly until a smooth sauce forms. Continue stirring until the sauce is thick and glossy - about 4 - 5 minutes. If the sauce thickens too much, add a little more milk. It should be thick, but still a bit runny. At this point, add the grated cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat.
• Break or cut the cauliflower florets away from the thick, central stalk, taking care not to break it into tiny pieces. Place these florets in a greased baking dish large enough to hold all the florets in just one layer. Pour the cheese and leek sauce over the cauliflower making sure to cover all the florets. Sprinkle the extra grated cheese evenly over the top and scatter the reserved softened leeks over the top as well. Finally, grate some fresh pepper over the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the sauce is bubbling and golden brown on the top, approximately 20 minutes. Test the cauliflower to make sure it's cooked through by piercing with a sharp pointed knife, cook a little longer if necessary. Serve warm.