Cauliflower Cheese with Leeks

• 1large cauliflower, about 1kg whole, yielding about 700g trimmed florets
• 40gbutter
• 2leeks, trimmed and sliced
• 40gplain flour
• 600mlmilk
• 100gmature cheddar, grated
• 1 tspEnglish mustard
• a grating of nutmeg
• 1 x 400gtin butter beans, drained and rinsed
• 50gbreadcrumbs
• 1 tbspolive oil
• fine salt
• black pepper
• 300ggreen beans, trimmed

Method

1. 1Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan). Bring your largest pan of salted water to the boil, add the cauliflower florets and cook for 4 minutes until a knife goes in with a little resistance. Drain well and shake off the water, then tip into a 25 x 30cm baking dish. Keep the pan for the beans.
2. 2Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, add the leeks with a pinch of salt and cook for 6 minutes until soft and silky. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute until it smells biscuity.
3. 3Add the milk a splash at a time, whisking each addition in before the next, then simmer for 5 minutes, stirring, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Take it off the heat and stir in 75g of the cheddar, the mustard, nutmeg and plenty of black pepper. Taste and add salt.
4. 4Scatter the butter beans among the cauliflower and pour the leek sauce over the top, shaking the dish so it runs down between the florets.
5. 5Mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining cheddar and the olive oil and scatter over the top. Bake for 20 minutes until the sauce is bubbling at the edges and the crumbs are deep golden.
6. 6Bring the cauliflower pan back to the boil for the last 5 minutes and cook the green beans for 4 minutes until tender but still bright green. Drain and serve alongside the bake.

Per serving

kcal

520

protein

24.4g

fibre

12.4g

carbs

48.2g

fat

27.6g