Chef Danilo Cortellini
I remember when I was growing up cauliflower was one of the most horrible things I could have been served for supper by my mother; I simply didn’t like it, like most kids to be honest.
Those day are far gone now, and I love a cauliflower cheese bake as if it was a comforting make and cheese (almost), especially if drenched in a rich Grana Padano bechamel sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 large cauliflowers
- 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 sprig of sage
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 30 g of unsalted butter
- 100 g of grated Grana Padano to sprinkle
- 20 g toasted hazelnuts
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For the Grana Padano béchamel
- 500 ml of milk
- 40 g of butter
- 40 g of plain flour
- 150 g of grated Grana Padano Riserva over 20 months
- Salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
Preparation
To prepare the béchamel, melt the butter in a pot and add the sieved flour to it. Cook for a couple of minutes on medium heat until the roux (mix of butter and flour) is well golden. Now pour in the milk, stirring vigorously with a whisk, and bring to boiling point while continuing to mix often. Season with salt and pepper and a touch of nutmeg. The béchamel should be now ready, creamy and with no lumps. Remove from the heat and stir in the grated cheese until it melts. If there are lumps, pass the sauce through a fine sieve or blitz it.
Slice the cauliflowers. You need to get 4 slices 3cm thick from the most central part. You could do them horizontally or vertically but it is important to include the stalk in the middle of each slice. Once you have 4 nice steaks that hold together, keep all the trimmings for a soup or another tray of cauliflower bake.
Season the cauliflower steaks with a pinch of salt and pepper and a drizzle of oil. Heat up a large pan and sear the cauliflower steaks for 2 minutes each side until golden. Lower the heat, cover with a lid and cook for 5 more minutes, the retained steam will soften the cauliflower quicker. Now add the butter, the garlic and sage and glaze the steaks with the melting butter, as if they were beefsteaks.
Now remove the steaks from the heat being careful not to break them place them on a baking tray. Pour over the Grana Padano bechamel and top with another handful of grated cheese and bake at 180 degreese C for about 10 minutes or until well colored on top.
Once the cauliflower is ready serve immediately and garnish with chopped toasted hazelnuts.
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Chef’s tip
For a cheffy spin, try to par cook the cauliflower by roasting it instead of simply boiling it, it will give you an extra depth in flavour.