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Slightly charred broccoli is one of my favourite things: crunchy and complicated, and completely compulsive. With the right accompaniment it is vibrant: I like it with a creamy, parmesan-loaded dressing, maybe whisked with an egg yolk, like a cheat’s caesar dressing, or just liberally drizzled with lemon juice.
Here, I use up my leftover Stilton. A mornay sauce made quickly and simply with the Stilton, then poured onto raw broccoli and baked until golden and bubbling, is a total treat, charred florets poking through the sauce. Breadcrumbs are optional, but lovely, adding an extra crunch, and muddled with garlic and lemon zest, parmesan and parsley, they lift the dish. When I have stale white bread in the house (more often that I would like), I’ve taken to making a big batch of these crumbs, whizzing them in the food processor, and freezing them, then I sprinkle them on straight from the freezer: they’re great as pangrattato on pasta, as a crumb for homemade chicken strips, or chucked onto big fat portobello mushrooms as they bake.
Note: You can make the sauce in advance, just cover it with clingfilm directly touching the surface and refrigerate until ready to use.
It goes like this:
Stilton and Broccoli Bake
Makes: 2 generous portions, or a side for 4
Takes: 45 minutes
Bakes: 30 minutes
1 pint whole milk
50g butter
50g plain flour
85g Stilton, plus extra for sprinkling
Salt, to taste
1 medium head of broccoli
2 thick slices stale white bread
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1/2 lemon, zested
1/2 clove garlic
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. First make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter gently in a medium sized pan over a medium heat. Add the flour and stir vigorously until a paste has formed, and then continue to cook until the mixture sizzles. Add the milk in three stages, using a whisk to stir out any lumps. When the mixture is smooth and thick, add in the crumbled Stilton. When the Stilton has melted, taste the sauce, and season accordingly: you will probably need to add a generous sprinkle of salt, and some pepper.
2. If you want to use breadcrumbs, and don’t have any to hand, whizz up the bread in a food processor, then add the garlic, lemon zest, parmesan, and parsley, and pulse until combined. You may find it easier to make a larger batch and freeze the excess.
3. Cut the broccoli into small florets, and arrange in a medium sized, oven-safe dish. Spoon the sauce over the top, leaving some of the florets poking through, so that they crisp. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs if using, and a little extra Stilton if you like, and pop in the oven.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden.
5. Ta Dah!
Icing on the cake
We ate this with piles of supermarket gnocchi, pan-fried in just a little oil, until they were golden and crispy on the outside, alongside piles of bitter salad leaves and the simplest dressing: 2 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp dijon mustard, whisked together and poured over everything.
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