Can I make the cheese sauce for the gratin ahead?

Yes. Make the cheese sauce ahead and reheat it before pouring it over the charred broccoli and leeks. Then add the Parmesan breadcrumb topping and roast the dish in Charlie.

How do I char broccoli and leeks on the charcoal?

Bring Charlie up to about 180°C (355°F), then lay the lightly oiled florets and whole leeks directly on the charcoal. Turn them with tongs for an even char, then remove any heavy char from the leeks before slicing.

Can I use different cheeses in the gratin?

Yes. The sauce uses Cheddar, Gouda and Stilton, but you can swap in your favourites. A good blue cheese works particularly well, and keep the Parmesan in the breadcrumb topping.

How long does the gratin take to bake?

Once topped, roast it in Charlie at 180°C (355°F) for 25 minutes until golden and bubbling. It makes an excellent side for roast meats cooked in the Charlie Oven.

Outdoor Cooking & Charcoal Oven Recipes / Grill

Cooked in the Charlie Charcoal Oven

Charred Broccoli and Leek Cheese Gratin

Name: Charred Broccoli and Leek Cheese Gratin
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Yield: 4 to 6
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 2 heads broccoli, florets, lightly oiled; 2 leeks, cleaned; 50g butter; 50g flour; 550ml milk, heated; 200g Cheddar cheese; 100g Gouda; 100g Stilton; 1 tbsp Dijon mustard; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; Salt and pepper to taste; 100g breadcrumbs; 50g grated Parmesan; 1 tbsp chopped parsley

Chris Taylor chars broccoli and leeks before covering them in three-cheese sauce and crisp Parmesan crumbs. The smoke gives this gratin depth beneath all that cheese. Bake it in Charlie until bubbling. A side dish with considerable ambition.

Chris TaylorFire cook and author

Grill

Prep15 minutes

Cook45 minutes

Serves4 to 6

DifficultyEasy

Oven temperature180°C (355°F)

RackDirectly on the charcoal, then the Charlie Oven Cooking Rack

CharcoalHalf a football of good quality lumpwood charcoal

Method

Setting up Charlie

Load half a football of lumpwood charcoal into the Charlie Oven firebox and light.
Allow the oven to reach approximately 180°C (355°F) with fully combusted charcoal.
Place the Charlie Oven Cooking Rack in the oven for baking the gratin.

Build a charcoal bed in the Charlie Oven and bring it up to about 180°C (355°F). Place the broccoli florets and whole leeks directly on the hot charcoal until charred. Remove and leave to cool.
Remove any heavy char from the leeks, then slice them and place into an oven-safe dish along with the charred broccoli florets.
Melt the butter in a pan, add the flour and slowly whisk in the heated milk until you have a smooth sauce. Add the Cheddar, Gouda, Stilton, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk again until smooth and season with salt and pepper.
Pour the cheese sauce over the charred vegetables in the dish.
Mix together the breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, chopped parsley and season. Top the dish with the cheese crumb mixture.
Roast in the Charlie Oven at 180°C (355°F) for 25 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Tips

Charring the vegetables directly on the charcoal gives a deep smoky depth that you cannot achieve in a regular oven.
Use tongs to carefully turn the broccoli and leeks on the charcoal for even charring.
The cheese sauce can be made ahead and reheated before pouring over the vegetables.
Feel free to swap in your favourite cheeses: a good blue cheese works particularly well.
This dish makes an excellent side for roast meats cooked in the Charlie Oven.

More recipes

The cook

Chris Taylor

Fire cook and author

Chris "Chops" Taylor worked as a home economist on MasterChef before turning to fire cooking, and has co-written Fire Feasts and Backyard Baking with DJ BBQ. He co-founded Whittle and Flame charcoal and has taught steak and fire cooking masterclasses on Charlie.

More recipes by Chris Taylor

Frequently asked questions

Can I make the cheese sauce for the gratin ahead?

Yes. Make the cheese sauce ahead and reheat it before pouring it over the charred broccoli and leeks. Then add the Parmesan breadcrumb topping and roast the dish in Charlie.
How do I char broccoli and leeks on the charcoal?

Bring Charlie up to about 180°C (355°F), then lay the lightly oiled florets and whole leeks directly on the charcoal. Turn them with tongs for an even char, then remove any heavy char from the leeks before slicing.
Can I use different cheeses in the gratin?

Yes. The sauce uses Cheddar, Gouda and Stilton, but you can swap in your favourites. A good blue cheese works particularly well, and keep the Parmesan in the breadcrumb topping.
How long does the gratin take to bake?

Once topped, roast it in Charlie at 180°C (355°F) for 25 minutes until golden and bubbling. It makes an excellent side for roast meats cooked in the Charlie Oven.