JAMIE OLIVER’S CAULIFLOWER AND BROCCOLI CHEESE

Ingredients

2 cloves of garlic 50 g unsalted butter 50 g plain flour 600 ml semi-skimmed milk 500 g fresh or frozen broccoli 75 g mature cheddar cheese 1 kg fresh or frozen cauliflower 2 slices of ciabatta or stale bread 2 sprigs of fresh thyme 25 g flaked almonds olive oil

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Peel and slice the garlic. Add butter to a pan and throw in the garlic. When the butter has melted, stir in the flour for a minute to make a paste; slowly add milk and keep whisking. Add broccoli (cut up first, if using fresh) and simmer for around 20 minutes, or until the broccoli is cooked and starts to break down; mash or blitz with a stick blender (adding milk to loosen, if using fresh broccoli).

Grate in half the Cheddar at this stage. Arrange the cauliflower in an appropriately-sized baking dish (cut into florets first, if using fresh), pour over the broccoli white sauce and add remaining Cheddar. Blitz the bread into breadcrumbs in a food processor, then pulse in thyme leaves and almonds. Toss with a lug of oil and a pinch of salt and pepper; scatter evenly over the cauliflower cheese. Bake for an hour, or until golden brown

Experiment with different kinds of cheese for this dish. Each variety has a different taste and will bring a new texture to your dish. You can also try different vegetables instead of cauliflower. For instance, 2 to 3 cm chunks of celeriac, squash, potatoes or leeks would all work a treat. Discover the best way to enjoy this recipe by using seasonal vegetables. Some vegetables might take longer to cook than others, so always test with a knife before serving.