Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower
• trimmed and broken into florets
• 250g/9oz smoked streaky bacon
• cut into 1cm/½in strips
• 250g/9oz chestnut mushrooms
• finely sliced
• 25g/1oz butter
• 50g/2oz plain flour
• 250ml/9fl oz full-fat milk
• pinch English mustard powder
• 200g/7oz gruyère cheese
• grated
• 55ml/2fl oz double cream
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• pinch ground nutmeg
• 50g/2oz ciabatta breadcrumbs
• 50g/2oz parmesan cheese
• finely grated
• green salad
• crusty bread

Directions

• For the cauliflower
• cook the florets in a large pan of boiling water for about 10 minutes
• or until just tender. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile for the béchamel sauce
• fry the bacon strips in a dry frying pan until coloured but not crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside
• keeping the bacon fat in the pan.
• Add the mushrooms to the pan of bacon fat and fry for 2-3 minutes
• or until golden-brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a clean saucepan and beat in the flour until smooth. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth
• then stir in the mustard powder
• grated cheese and double cream. Keep stirring until the cheese has melted and the mixture is thick and creamy. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper
• then fold in the bacon and mushrooms.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
• Place the cauliflower florets into an ovenproof casserole dish and pour over the cheesy sauce. Sprinkle over a pinch of freshly grounded nutmeg.
• For the topping
• mix the ciabatta breadcrumbs with the parmesan cheese
• then sprinkle the mixture over the cauliflower. Place into the oven for 15 minutes
• or until the topping is golden-brown and bubbling.
• Spoon the cauliflower cheese onto plates and serve with a crisp green salad and crusty bread.