Turmeric-roasted cauliflower with Stilton cream and deep-fried cauliflower leaves
Roasting a cauliflower whole allows the flavours to penetrate, plus you get lots of crispy cheesy bits.
Ingredients
For the turmeric cauliflower
- 1 medium cauliflower, cleaned, left whole, leaves reserved for deep-frying
- 5g fresh turmeric root
- 25g/1oz roasted garlic cloves, skins removed (see tip)
- 50ml/2fl oz rapeseed oil
- 100ml/3½fl oz soya cream
- 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
- 85g/3oz Stilton
For the deep-fried cauliflower leaves
- 400ml/14fl oz ice-cold sparkling water
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú plain flour
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú cornflour
- ½ tbsp cider vinegar
- salt
For the sourdough walnut crumb
- 2 slices toasted sourdough
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú walnuts
Method
Preheat the oven to 140C/120C Fan/Gas 1.
For the turmeric cauliflower, steam the whole cauliflower for about 8–10 minutes, or until tender in the middle. Drain and place on a baking tray.
In a food processor, pulse the turmeric root, roast garlic and rapeseed oil until you have a rough paste. Pour over the steamed cauliflower, season with salt and pepper and roast the cauliflower for 25 minutes.
Gently warm both the soya and double cream in a saucepan. Crumble in the Stilton and heat until melted.
Remove the cauliflower from the oven, pour the cheesy cream over, then bake for a further 30 minutes, or until bubbling and golden.
For the deep-fried cauliflower leaves, preheat a deep-fat fryer to 180C (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended).
Whisk all the ingredients together to form a batter, dip in the reserved leaves to coat. Lower into the fryer and fry until crisp and golden. Place on a plate lined with kitchen roll to drain off any excess oil.
For the sourdough walnut crumb, in a food processor, pulse the nuts and sourdough to form crumbs.
To serve, place the cauliflower on a serving dish or plate and garnish with the fried leaves and crumbs. Serve in slices.
Recipe Tips
To roast garlic, simply rub with oil, wrap in foil and place in an oven set to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 for about 30 minutes, or until the cloves are soft.
