Cauliflower Cheese Cake

Wotchers!

Following on from last week’s summery Fideo, I have for you a wonderful dish that is impressive enough to become the main part of your meal. This Cauliflower Cheese Cake is an adaption of a Turkish recipe where large florets of cauliflower are the star of the dish, displaying in beautiful cross-sections when the cake is cut.

Although a selection of cheeses are used, the cauliflower really is the star, and it is aided in this by the addition of a herb that, for me, is the embodiment of summer: mint. Now before you shriek and have an attack of the vapours, let me reassure you that it is just a gentle amount, not by any means at risk of taking over. I, too, doubted it would ‘go’ with the cheeses, but I’m glad I persevered. Whilst the traditional British dish of cauliflower cheese can be immensely comforting on a cold winter’s day, this summer version is bright and light and a world away from what can sometimes be an overly rich dish.

You might be surprised at how the addition of a little fresh mint can really make summertime foods sing. It really is transformative. Chopped and sprinkled over a garden salad or a bowl of strawberries, it conjures up images of carefree summer days. With this recipe’s light, golden crust and suspicion of mint, it is the ideal indulgent lunch.

Cauliflower Cheese Cake

In what is fast becoming my signature ‘PacMan’ styling of dishes, you can see from the photo that this cake is impressively tall. I used a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin and effectively arrange the florets a layer at a time and poured the sauce over before adding the next layer. You can use a wider, shallower tin if liked, but you might need extra cauliflower to fill up the tin, and maybe to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

1 large, firm cauliflower

150 g of feta cheese
300 g cottage cheese
150 g of vintage Cheddar or Gruyere cheese

1 large onion
2tbs vegetable/olive oil

5 large eggs
1 bunch parsley (about 25g) – chopped
5 sprigs of fresh mint – leaves chopped
120g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
salt & pepper to taste

50-100g grated cheese for topping

• Separate the cauliflower into large florets. Steam over boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
• Crumble the feta cheese.
• Tip out the cottage cheese onto several layers of kitchen roll and allow it to drain of moisture.
• Grate the Cheddar/Gruyere.
• Finely chop the onion and saute in the oil until translucent and starting to turn golden at the edges. Set aside to cool.
• Heat the oven to 200°C, 180°C Fan.
• Line the bottom and sides of a 20cm loose bottom or spring-form cake tin with parchment.
• Whisk the eggs together and stir in the cooled onion, parsley, mint, flour and baking powder until smooth. Add the three cheeses and season well with salt and pepper.
• Arrange cauliflower florets in a layer in your lined tin. Lay them close together, but not so tightly that there’s nowhere for the cheesy egg mixture to flow in-between.
• Pour over half of the cheese/egg mixture.
• Repeat with a second layer of florets and the rest of the cheese/egg mixture.
• Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
• Bake for 1 hour, turning the tin around after 30 minutes to ensure even baking.
• Remove from the oven and allow the cake to stand for about 30 minutes. This will allow the cake to firm up, thereby helping it slice neatly. Additionally, the flavours are best savoured when just slightly warm.