Broccoli and Cauliflower Bake

02Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Tip the frozen florets straight into a baking dish - no need to thaw them first.
2. Whisk the sour cream, pure cream, chicken stock powder, corn flour and white pepper together until smooth, then pour over the florets and toss to coat.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, then stir well so the sauce and any water released from the vegetables mix together.
4. Bake another 20 minutes, then stir again.
5. Scatter the grated cheese over the top and bake for a final 20 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is golden.
6. Rest for 5 minutes before serving - the sauce thickens as it cools slightly.

03Notes & substitutions

• Fresh florets work too - blanch them for 2 minutes first, and pour over the sauce as written. Frozen is simply the easy version, and a good use of a glut you froze yourself.
• Use all broccoli or all cauliflower if that is what the garden is giving you - the quantities stay the same.
• Swap the tasty cheese for cheddar, gruyere or a mix with a little parmesan for a sharper top.
• A pinch of nutmeg or a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard in the sauce lifts it nicely.
• Vegetarian if you swap the chicken stock powder for a vegetable one.

04Common mistakes

• Thawing the florets first — thawed vegetables release their water all at once and turn the sauce thin; cook from frozen so the moisture comes out gradually.
• Skipping the stirs — the sauce at the edges thickens first and the middle stays watery; stirring at 20 and 40 minutes brings it together evenly.
• Adding the cheese too early — cheese added at the start can turn oily and dark by the end; it only needs the final 20 minutes.
• Using too deep a dish — a deep, narrow dish steams the florets instead of roasting them; a wide, shallow dish gives the best result.

05Storage & leftovers