Cauliflower gratin with pistou

Vibrant pistou introduces delightful, fragrant notes to a classic cauliflower cheese. This dish can be prepared the day before and kept in the fridge, ready to bake from chilled for about 25–30 minutes before serving.

SERVES 6

1 cauliflower (about 600g), with tight, white florets (a sign of freshness) and blemish-free

½ lemon, cut into 4 pieces

40g butter

120g Comté, Gruyère or Cheddar, coarsely grated

1 litre béchamel sauce (double quantity)

½ quantity pistou

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Remove the outer ribs and leaves from the cauliflower then, using a small knife, split it into large florets. Trim some of the thickness from the base stem of each floret, so you keep just the tender part, then wash in cold water.

Lower the cauliflower florets into the boiling water, salt the water lightly and add the lemon pieces. Cook over a medium heat for about 12–15 minutes until the cauliflower is almost tender (i.e. still firm but not at all crunchy). To check, prod one of the stems with the tip of a sharp knife; it should slide in without much difficulty. Drain in a colander, then run under cold water for a few minutes to stop the cooking. Drain well, discard the lemon and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Use the butter to generously grease a gratin dish, then sprinkle about a quarter of the grated cheese evenly over the base.

Heat the béchamel sauce in a pan over a medium heat, stirring with a balloon whisk. As soon as it comes to the boil, remove from the heat and stir in about half of the remaining grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour about one-fifth of the sauce into the gratin dish. Arrange the cauliflower florets on top, packing them against each other, then coat generously with the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the surface and bake for 20–25 minutes until the cauliflower is hot and the topping is nicely golden.

Remove from the oven and, using a teaspoon, dot generous dollops of pistou over the top, spacing them evenly. Serve the rest of the pistou separately in a jug, for guests to help themselves.