Cauliflower Leek Cheddar Pie With Mustard Thyme Pastry Recipes

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.

CAULIFLOWER AND LEEK GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cauliflower and cook until slightly tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water; transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leeks, shallots, red-pepper flakes, and thyme; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour until well combined. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly, until well combined. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil; let boil 2 to 3 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in 3/4 cups cheese; season with salt and pepper.
• Pour leek mixture over cauliflower mixture and stir until cauliflower is well coated; transfer to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup cheese over top. Transfer to oven and bake until bubbly, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Transfer baking dish to broiler; broil until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

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.