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Dinner Tonight: Cauliflower Gratin

Posted by Blake Royer, January 29, 2009 at 4:45 PM

With half the continental U.S. blanketed in snow, maybe some of us are looking for a little comfort food. Something warm, tasty, and possibly cheesy? Macaroni and cheese is what initially came to my mind, but when I had a look at this Ina Garten recipe for a pretty straightforward cauliflower gratin, I realized that that's basically what this is. Switch out the pasta for chunks of cauliflower, which in this recipe are covered with a cheesy bechamel (aka Mornay sauce) before baking, and you're pretty close to macaroni and cheese. And it's a touch healthier—though it's all relative when you're talking about handfuls of cheese and butter.

No secrets to this recipe, really; a nice touch of nutmeg in the bechamel brings a distinct fragrance, but it's otherwise the traditional Parmesan and Gruyère combination and a crispy skin of bread crumbs and more cheese. Cauliflower takes particularly well to the gratin treatment. If you wanted to turn it into a main course with more protein, some chopped ham would fit in quite nicely.

About the author: Blake Royer founded The Paupered Chef with Nick Kindelsperger, where he writes about food and occasional travels. He is currently living for the year in Tartu, Estonia.

Cauliflower Gratin

- serves 4-6 -

Adapted from Ina Garten.

Procedure

1 3-pound head cauliflower, cut into large florets
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 cup grated Gruyère, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 375—F. Bring a large pot of salty water to boil. Boil the cauliflower florets until beginning to soften, but farm from tender, about 5 minutes.

2. In the meantime, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a sauce pan, then stir in the flour. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often and removing any lumps. Add the warm milk (little by little at first), whisking constantly. Bring to a boil and cook until the mixture thickens, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 1 teaspoon salt, the pepper, 1/2 cup of each cheese, and nutmeg. Stir well to incorporate.

3. Pour 1/3 of the sauce into an 8 x 11 inch baking dish, then add the cauliflower pieces. Cover with the remaining sauce, then top with a mixture of the bread crumbs and remaining Gruyère. Melt the remaining two tablespoons butter and drizzle over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is browned. Hit it with a broiler to really crisp it up.

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Tags: cauliflower, cheese, Dinner Tonight, sides, vegetarian

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