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Christmas dinner on a budget: How to make chef Dan Pelosi's creamy cauliflower skillet

Next up for our budget Christmas dinner ideas, we've got a side dish from Dan Pelosi: creamy cauliflower skillet

Cauliflower Cheese

It looks delicious! Illustration: Matt Hollings

It’s nearly Christmas! And The Big Issue is here to help you create your perfect Christmas dinner on a budget. And we can’t miss out the side dishes.

Dan Pelosi, the man behind GrossyPelosi known for his big Italian dishes, has suggested a creamy cauliflower skillet which is sure to get your mouth watering.

Pelosi said: “Cauliflower is a true culinary hero. You can steam her, roast her, mash her, rice her, fry her, grill her. What can’t she do? I honestly don’t know. What I do know is that this recipe is one of  her best looks ever.

“Large chunks are doused in a perfect mix of heavy cream, Fontina cheese and white wine, which creates the most-delicious-ever pool of sauce after roasting. The cauliflower gets tender and the onions caramelise perfectly, topped with fresh herbs and served nice and warm. You will want to tuck yourself into this cosy skillet and never leave.”

Dan Pelosi’s recipe for creamy cauliflower skillet

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower 
  • 2 medium red onions 
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground
  • Black pepper 
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 
  • 8 ounces Fontina cheese, shredded (we substituted this with cheddar) 
  • 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, roughly chopped 
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves 
  • 1 cup heavy cream 
  • ½ cup white wine 

Method

  • Trim the leaves and stem off the cauliflower, then cut the head into quarters. Arrange the pieces in a large cast-iron skillet. Trim the tops of the onions, but keep the roots intact. Remove the papery skin, then cut each onion into quarters. Arrange the pieces around the cauliflower.
  •  Drizzle olive oil over the veggies and rub to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper.
  •  Scatter the garlic, Fontina, oregano and thyme over the bottom of the skillet.
  •  Pour in the cream and white wine. 
  • Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the veggies are nicely browned and the cauliflower is knife-tender. 
  • Serve this beauty straight from the skillet. 

Reprinted with permission from Let’s Eat: 101 Recipes to Fill Your Heart & Home by Dan Pelosi. Published by Union Square & Co.

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty

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