Broccoli and Cheese Sauce

Roasting the broccoli first gives it a warm, nutty flavour. Classic cheese sauce with a generous spoon of english mustard. Finished under the grill until golden, it’s comforting and familiar and can be paired with so much.

Ingredients

For the Broccoli

1 head of broccoli, florets and stalk cut into chunks

Olive oil

Flaked sea salt and white pepper

For the Cheese Sauce

40g unsalted butter

40g plain flour

500ml whole milk, warmed

150–200g extra mature cheddar, grated

1 tsp English mustard

Sea salt and white pepper

Preparation

Place the broccoli florets and stalk pieces into a shallow ovenproof dish. Drizzle with olive oil, season with flaked salt and white pepper, and roast at 180°C / fan 160°C / gas 4 for around 20 minutes, until just tender and lightly coloured.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Add the butter and flour together into a cold saucepan and place over a medium heat, stirring as everything warms up. This method gives you a perfectly smooth roux every time. Once the mixture is bubbling gently, gradually whisk in the warm milk until smooth.

Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the sauce thickens. Stir in the mustard, season with salt and white pepper, then add the cheddar a handful at a time, stirring until fully melted and smooth.

Pour the sauce over the roasted broccoli and return to the oven. Grill for 10–15 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbling.