Cavolfiore al Castelmagno (cauliflower cheese) - Piemonte
 
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Children shudder at the sight of cauliflower on their plate but I have yet to meet a child that did not adore cauliflower cheese. In Piemonte, it is made with arguably Piemonte's greatest cheese: Castelmagno. Castelmagno is a protected cheese which is mainly produced as a white cheese but can also be blue. It has been made since the 13th century in the village of Castelmagno using cow's milk with some ewe's and goat's milk added and is then aged for 4 months in caves.
In England cauliflower cheese is made with Cheddar and Lancashire cheeses which are also incredibly tasty substitutes if you cannot find Castelmagno (it has a rather limited production in comparison). The creamy cheese complements the soft, steamed cauliflower. Steaming vegetables retains the vitamins and minerals better than boiling. The flavour is also less diluted and the texture firmer.
Author:
Recipe type: Side dish (Contorno)
Cuisine: Piemonte
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 medium cauliflower, leaves removed and rinsed
  • 145 ml double cream
  • 100 grams Castelmagno cheese, grated or small dice
  • 60 grams Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
  • 20 grams butter
Instructions
  1. Steam the cauliflower heads for 8 to 10 minutes until a fork can easily pierce the stem (if placed into a cold steamer then this will take 15-20 minutes including the time to create the steam).
  2. Meanwhile, in the last 10 minutes, put the cheeses, butter and cream into a sauce pan and heat over medium heat.
  3. When the cheeses have melted and stir to combine. Do not let this mixture boil. Remove from the heat.
  4. Place the cauliflower in a shallow bowl and pour the cheese over top. Serve immediately.
Recipe by Living a Life in Colour at http://www.livingalifeincolour.com/recipes/cavolfiore-al-castelmagno-cauliflower-cheese-piemonte/