Leeky Cauliflower Cheese

If you think one cauliflower cheese recipe is much like another ... think again!

I discovered this recipe when it came with our vegetable delivery from Riverford. I cooked it one evening as I happened to have the ingredients in the house and no other inspiration. It is most definitely the best cauliflower cheese I have ever had.  This time I made it with a romanesco instead of a cauliflower and it is equally tasty.  I cooked it for a person who claims not to like cauliflower or leeks and she said it was good so it must be worth all the hype I'm giving it.  As the evenings draw in earlier, colder and damper it is the perfect comfort food.

Ingredients:

1 large cauliflower, cut into florets

2 leeks, trimmed and cut into 1cm slices

6 rashers streaky bacon, diced

60g butter

60g plain flour

500ml warm whole milk

1tsp english mustard

70g mature cheddar, grated

70g parmesan, grated

1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

pinch or two of cayenne pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 220*C / 200*C fan / gas mark 6.

Boil or steam the cauliflower until tender. Dice and fry bacon until crispy. Blanch the leeks in boiling salted water for 4-5 minutes until tender.

Make the sauce by melting the butter, adding the flour and stirring for a couple of minutes.  Slowly add the warm milk, stirring all the time until you have a thick sauce. Simmer for a few minutes, then stir in the cheeses, nutmeg, mustard and cayenne pepper. Season to taste. Combine everything in an ovenproof dish. Grate over extra cheese if you fancy. Cook for 20 minutes or until golden on top.

Recipe serves two as a meal.