Marie Mitchell’s brussels sprout cheese

Method

1. Put an oven tray under the grill and heat to high. While you wait, put the onion, milk, peppercorns and bay leaves in a medium saucepan over a low-medium heat. Once bubbles start to form around the edges, remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for 15 minutes.
2. Put the leek on the heated tray, cut-side down. Grill for 15-20 minutes until the outside layer has blackened. Peel off the blackened layer and discard, then roughly chop the remainder and set aside.
3. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the sprouts and cook for 2-4 minutes, depending on size. Drain and set aside to steam-dry.
4. Heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5. Heat a glug of oil in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat. Add the torn sourdough and fry for 3-5 minutes, turning occasionally, until crisp. Set aside.
5. Put the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Once foaming, add the flour and whisk to form a paste. Slowly add the infused milk, pouring it through a fine sieve to remove the solids and whisking between additions to make a smooth sauce. Continue cooking and stirring for 5-10 minutes until thickened, then fold in half the parmesan and season to taste.
6. Tip the sprouts and leeks into a baking dish, then pour the sauce over the top, making sure they’re all coated. Sprinkle over the remaining parmesan and grate over a generous amount of nutmeg. Grind over some black pepper, then add the croutons. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbling and golden on top.