Ingredients

Method

• 3 T olive oil
• 200 g diced bacon
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 55 g butter
• 35 g flour
• 660 ml milk
• 100 g Parmesan, finely grated
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 400 g cauliflower florets
• 2 t ground nutmeg

Method

Ingredients

1. Preheat the air-fryer to 180°C. Place a saucepan in the air-fryer basket. Place the oil, bacon and garlic in the pot. Air-fry for 5-8 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.

2. Heat the same pan on the stovetop until hot (sorry, you can’t make cheese sauce in an air-fryer!) and add the butter. Whisk the butter while adding the flour. Add all the milk in one go. Keep stirring to ensure the flour mixture blends smoothly into the milk. Bring to the boil, stirring, until the mixture is thick and creamy and the flour is cooked, about 8–10 minutes.

3. Remove from the heat and add half the Parmesan. Stir until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper – but take it easy with the salt as Parmesan is already quite salty. Add the cooked bacon mixture and stir through. Set aside.

4. Bring a saucepan of about 5 cm of water to the boil. Add the cauliflower florets and cover with a lid. Steam for 10–15 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender but still firm.

5. Place cauliflower in a dish that fits in the air-fryer basket and spoon the bacon-and-cheese sauce over the cauliflower. Sprinkle with nutmeg and remaining Parmesan. Place in the air-fryer and cook for 10–12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve.

Find more cauliflower recipes here

Extracted from Air Fryer: Herman’s Top 100 Recipes by Herman Lensing (Jonathan Ball).