Easy Vegan Cauliflower Gratin (Restaurant Style)

This recipe is inspired by the incredible cauliflower gratin in J. Sheekey’s book “FISH”. I was fortunate enough to eat in Sheekey’s a few years back where I had the best fish pie of my life. This was before I became vegan (clearly) but I am still inspired by the experience. I have even bought the cookbook recently as it was discovered in a pre-loved book sale for just £1!

I do truly want to come up with healthy recipes but I am just so drawn to naughty foods; foods that taste unbelievably good (this dish in a nutshell). I usually make a lower fat dish for every day but it occurred to me that many a high end restaurant dish is full of butter, cream and cheese and perhaps that is why they always taste to incredible. So here we have a cauliflower creation with vegan cream cheese, vegan cream and vegan butter. A true special occasion treat or perhaps a dinner party side dish.

I have always said that I show love through the food I cook. My husband doesn’t like cauliflower and yet I still intend to have this as a Valentines day side this year just for me – an act of self love (ahem). Do give this recipe a try because it really is too good.

Easy Vegan Cauliflower Gratin (Restaurant Style)

A divine and devilishly moreish cauliflower gratin that is supremely easy to make. This recipe is a bit of a cheat and you could be fooled into thinking that it is healthy because it has cauliflower in it, well IT ISN'T! This dish is inspired by the J. Sheekey cauliflower gratin recipe and is loaded with cream and cheese! This is an absolute show stopper of a side dish that will have you and your guests fighting over every last scrap.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine French

Servings 2

Equipment

• 1 Sauce pan
• 1 Colander / Sieve
• 1 Small glass
• 1 Small Oven Dish

Ingredients

  

• 300 g Cauliflower florets (roughly one small cauliflower)
• 20 g Plant butter
• 2 tsp Cornflour
• 100 ml Plant cream Elmlea Plant Double is great
• 150 g Vegan cream cheese Violife Creamy is wonderful
• 3 tbsp Nutritional yeast flakes I use Engevita
• 25 g Panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 200°c / 400°F / Gas mark 6.
• Put the cauliflower florets in a saucepan of boiling water and simmer for 5 minutes. Then drain using a colander / sieve. Set aside.
  300 g Cauliflower florets
• In a small glass / jug, mix the cornflour with the plant cream. Stir until dissolved.
  2 tsp Cornflour, 100 ml Plant cream
• Put the vegan butter, vegan cream cheese, cream and cornflour in a pan and cook over a medium-high heat for around 5 minutes, until thickened and bubbling. Stir continually so that the sauce doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan..
  20 g Plant butter, 150 g Vegan cream cheese
• Take the sauce off the heat and stir in the nutritional yeast along with some salt and pepper. You want the sauce to taste a little over seasoned at this point because when it mixes with the unseasoned cauliflower the seasoning will be diluted a little.
  3 tbsp Nutritional yeast flakes
• Mix the cooked cauliflower florets with the sauce until the cauliflower is completely coated. Transfer to a small oven proof dish and sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top.
  25 g Panko breadcrumbs
• Bake at the top of the oven for 15 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden. Serve.

Keyword Cauliflower, Gratin, Plant Based, Vegan

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