Bacon chops with whole roasted broccoli and three-cheese sauce

Method

1. For the roasted broccoli, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

2. Remove the stalk from the broccoli and cut it in half lengthways. Peel the hard woody bits from it. Set it to one side.

3. Rub the grated garlic onto the broccoli head and place it in a deep roasting tray. Sprinkle over with the thyme stalks and top with the butter.

4. Roast for 35-45 minutes until just cooked. Baste in the butter 3-4 times whilst roasting.

5. Season with fresh nutmeg and set to one side.

6. For the three-cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan and then stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and gradually stir in the milk until you have a smooth sauce. Return to the heat and, stirring all the time, bring to the boil.

7. When the sauce is smooth, stir in the cheeses until they are melted. Season with salt and pepper and pass through a sieve. Stir in the mustard and crème fraîche and set to one side.

8. For the bacon chops, put the butter in a pan with 100ml/3½fl oz of water and bring to the boil. Add the broccoli stalk halves and bacon chops and cook until the stalks are tender and the bacon is cooked through. You may need to add a little more water. Drain and add the chopped parsley.

9. Heat the oil in a clean pan and gently fry the onion and cooked new potatoes together until golden-brown and hot through. Season with the smoked paprika.

10. Serve the bacon, broccoli stems, roasted broccoli and potatoes with the sauce.