Whole Roast Cauli Cheese with Marbled Herb Oil

Prep the Cauliflower

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC
2. Remove the leaves from the cauliflower and trim the base so it can sit upright
3. Cover with a drizzle of oil, salt and pepper
   

Roast

1. Place the cauliflower in a roasting tin and wrap snugly in foil
2. Roast in the preheated oven for about 40 mins until starting to soften
3. Carefully unwrap the foil, baste with any moisture the cauliflower has released and return to the oven for another 10-15 mins until tender and a little caramelised
   

Make parsley oil

1. While the cauliflower is roasting place ice in a large bowl with a bit of water
2. Place a small bowl in the ice to cool it down
3. Place the parsley and half the chives in a blender
4. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat until it hits around 83ºC
5. Pour into the blender over the herbs and blitz on high for around 30-45 seconds
6. Immediately pass through a fine sieve with a paper towel in it
7. Catch the bright oil in the small cold bowl over the ice so that the oil cools down quickly and retains its bright green colour
   

Make the cheese sauce

1. While the cauliflower finishes roasting, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat
2. Stir in the flour to form a roux, cooking for 1–2 mins
3. Gradually pour in the milk, whisking continuously, beating out any lumps, until the sauce thickens
4. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cheese until melted and smooth
   

Split sauce

1. Make sure this is hot just before serving and before you add in the oil, you may need to add a little more milk if it’s seized
2. Gently fold a few tbsp of the parsley oil into the sauce to form a marbled effect
3. Don’t over mix - you want the marbled “split” effect
4. Taste and adjust salt if needed
   

Serve

1. Place the roasted cauliflower on a serving plate
2. Bring to the table and pour over the cheese and parsley sauce
3. Garnish generously with chives