Romanesco and almond gratin
Vegetarian mains
Romanesco and almond gratin
An easy-to-make, oven-baked dish of romanesco mixed with mustard, Cheddar and milk and topped with crunchy flaked almonds. It makes a good, midweek vegetarian main eaten with rice or quinoa and sautéed cabbage or kale. Use 50g of rice flour if you want to make this gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1 Romanesco, cut into even florets
- 50g butter
- 50g flour (or use another starchy gluten-free flour, e.g. potato)
- 500ml milk
- 100g Cheddar cheese, grated, plus a little extra for sprinkling
- 1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 small handfuls flaked almonds
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Preheat oven to 220°C/Gas 8.
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Step 2
Steam or boil the Romanesco for 4 minutes. Drain and allow any excess moisture to evaporate off.
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Step 3
Melt the butter in a pan. Add the flour and stir on a very low heat for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add 3-4 tablespoons of the milk and whisk to a thick, smooth paste.
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Step 4
Gradually add the rest of the milk, whisking all the time, until the sauce is smooth. Return to the heat, add the cheese and gently heat for a few minutes, until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened. Stir in the mustard and season to taste.
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Step 5
Put the Romanesco in a snug fitting baking dish. Pour over the sauce and sprinkle over a little extra cheese. Bake for 15 minutes.
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Step 6
Sprinkle over the almonds and bake for a further 10-15 minutes or so, until the almonds are golden.