CAULIFLOWER CHEESE PIE

I am not a vegetarian and am often left wondering why one would forgo delicious mouthfuls of succulent, moreish meat. As a carnivore, my standard has always been that if a meal must be vegetarian, its success will be determined by how much I pine for protein. Occasionally you get it right, and life does not get much better than this pastry-encrusted delight: portable cauliflower cheese.

MAKES ONE 22 CM (8½ INCH) PIE, OR SIX 10 CM (4 INCH) PIES

1 onion, diced

½ a leek, white part only, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

olive oil, for pan-frying

½ a cauliflower, cut into florets

500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) milk

50 g (1¾ oz) butter

50 g (1¾ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour

50 g (1¾ oz) grated cheddar cheese, plus extra for scattering

50 g (1¾ oz) goat’s cheese, crumbled

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ quantity of savoury shortcrust pastry

In a saucepan, sauté the onion, leek and garlic in a little olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is golden.

Add the cauliflower, along with the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender.

Strain the liquid through a colander, into a jug. Reserve the warm liquid, ready for the sauce. Reserve the cauliflower and leek mixture for the filling.

Melt the butter over medium heat, then add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the warm liquid in a few additions, returning it to the boil each time. Remove from the heat and add the cheeses and reserved cauliflower mixture, along with the salt and pepper.

Pour into a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap to stop a skin forming, then cool in the fridge. (The sauce and cauliflower can be cooked a day ahead; the sauce is best used cold, as you don’t want the cheese to boil in the oven.)

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºC/Gas 4).

Roll out the pastry to about 3 mm (¹/₈ inch) thick and use it to line a 22 cm (8½ inch) flan (tart) tin, or six 10 cm (4 inch) pie tins. Line the pastry with baking paper and some baking beads or raw rice. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.

Remove the baking paper and rice. Spoon in the cauliflower mixture, top with some more cheese and bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown. Serve hot.