Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Wash the broccoli. Cut into florets and stems, peel the stems. Leave thin stems whole, halve thick ones lengthwise and cut into approx. 2 cm pieces.

In a large pot bring about 3 liters of salted water to a boil. Blanch the broccoli (florets and stems) in it for about 3 minutes.

Drain the broccoli, immediately plunge into ice water, then let drain well in a sieve and spread out on a kitchen towel.

Melt 60 g butter in a pot. Stir in the flour and heat while stirring until the mixture bubbles. Gradually pour in the milk, then the cream while whisking vigorously, and simmer the sauce over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the sauce from the heat. Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks with 100 g grated Gouda and a little hot sauce, then stir into the remaining sauce. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Preheat the oven to 160 °C fan (180 °C conventional).

Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the meringue into the sauce.

Grease a deep baking dish with the remaining butter and sprinkle with half of the ground hazelnuts. Pour in half of the egg-and-sauce mixture, distribute the broccoli on top and cover with the remaining mixture. Sprinkle the remaining hazelnuts over the top.

Place the dish on the lower oven rack and bake the casserole for about 60 minutes. Check doneness with a skewer.