Great British Food - Christmas 2025

1 CAULIFLOWER RICE Put florets and the roughly chopped stems of a cauliflower into a food processor fitted with a grater attachment via the feeding tube. Alternatively, grate using a box grater. Place into a microwaveable container and microwave, with the lid on, for 4 minutes. For a nutty flavour, saute in a pan with some olive oil for 4 minutes. 2 CAULIFLOWER CURRY Cut the florets off a cauliflower, leaving them quite chunky, and steam for 5 minutes. Saute a chopped onion with some garlic, and when softened add 2 tsps ground cumin, 2 tsps garam masala and 1 tbsp curry powder. Warm the spices through then add the cauliflower, a tin of chickpeas and a tin of tomatoes, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add a tin of coconut milk and simmer for a further 10 minutes, or until it reaches the desired consistency, then season and serve. For extra richness, add 25g butter before serving. 3 CARBONARA CAULIFLOWER CHEESE Steam cauliflower florets for 5 minutes then allow to steam dry. Meanwhile, fry some bacon lardons until crispy. Remove once cooked, then add 30g butter and a minced garlic clove to the pan. Once melted, whisk in 2 heaped tsps plain flour for a minute then gradually add 300ml milk, whisking the whole time. Melt in 100g grated mature cheddar. Season generously with black pepper then mix in the cauliflower, place in an oven-proof dish and top with more grated cheddar, and cook in the oven for 20 minutes at 190°C. 5 IDEAS WITH… This traditionallyunsunghero iswellwortha second look thanks to its oh-so-tastyversatility – nowonder it’s trending right now CAULIFLOWER 4 CAULIFLOWER & CHORIZO SOUP Roast cauliflower florets in a 200°C oven for around 25 minutes or until tender. Saute an onion and 2 minced cloves of garlic in a large saucepan over a medium heat until translucent and soft, then mix in 1 tbsp cornflour. Cook out for 1 minute, then add 900ml vegetable or chicken stock and 250ml full fat milk. Season with ½ tsp nutmeg and black pepper, and salt to taste, then reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Meanwhile finely chop chorizo and saute until crispy, then take off the heat and combine with chopped parsley in the pan. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with the chorizo and parsley mixture. 5 SPICED WHOLE ROASTED CAULIFLOWER In a bowl, combine 3 tsps rose harissa with 1 tsp sumac, 1 tbsp oil, the zest of a lemon and salt and freshly ground pepper. Rub over a whole cauliflower head and place in a lidded casserole pan, then pour over 100ml vegetable stock and replace the lid before cooking for an hour at 180°C. Take the lid off and cook for another 10 minutes until golden, then serve with yoghurt flavoured with chopped mint and garlic, toasted pine nuts and pomegranate seeds. 19 greatbr i t i shfoodawards.com RECI PES | CAUL I FLOWER