CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH BROWN BUTTER & CHEESY TOASTS

Making brown butter, or beurre noisette, is one of those techniques that chefs love but home cooks seem to steer clear of because it sounds tricky. Believe me, it’s really not complicated, and the more often you do it, the more confident you become at judging the right time to take the pan off the heat. It’s such an easy way to add a rich nuttiness to this creamy soup, and it smells incredible. Use vegetable stock as a vegetarian option.

Serves 4

2tbsp olive oil

20g (¾oz) butter

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

A small handful of sage leaves 1 x 800g (1lb 12oz) cauliflower 500ml (18fl oz) chicken or vegetable stock

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

200ml (7fl oz) whole milk 200ml (7fl oz) double cream

For the brown butter

40g (1½oz) butter

1tbsp truffle oil

A handful of sage leaves

For the cheesy toasts

4 slices of baguette (finely sliced on the diagonal)

120g (4¼oz) grated cheese mixture (mozzarella, Cheddar, blue and Gruyère, or a combination of whatever cheese you have in the fridge already)

Preheat the grill. Place a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the oil and butter. When the butter has melted, add the onion and garlic then cook for 5 minutes. Add the sage leaves and cook for a further minute.

Meanwhile, prepare the cauliflower by removing the leaves and separating the florets. Roughly chop into small pieces of the same size.

Add the chopped cauliflower and the chicken or vegetable stock to the pan of onions. Season, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the milk and cream, and simmer for 8 minutes.

Now make the brown butter. Put the butter into a small pan and place it over a high heat. When it begins to brown, remove the pan from the heat and add the truffle oil and sage leaves. Stir well and leave to cool.

To make the cheesy toasts, lay the baguette slices on a baking tray and grill for 2-3 minutes, until lightly golden on one side. Turn each slice over, then sprinkle liberally with the grated cheese mixture. Grill for a further 4 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden.

When the cauliflower is cooked, blitz the mixture with a hand-held blender until smooth. Adjust seasoning as necessary. Ladle the soup into bowls and spoon the brown butter and sage leaves over. Serve with the cheesy toasts.