Cauliflower Gratin

I have always been a fan of cauliflower, boiled, fried, steamed or even raw. Even when I was a kid,  I loved this vegetable, unlike my brother who used to kick and scream every time my mom made us a dish with cauliflower. The only way he would eat them was ‘the lebanese way’ roasted then served with tahini sauce, he used to dip the florets with lots of tahini sauce to mask the flavor of the vegetable.

Well a few days ago, I found myself starring at a beautiful display of cauliflower in the farmer’s market, I decided that it was time to make cauliflower gratin.

In French, "gratin" means that a dish, whether vegetables, meat or any other ingredient has been baked with a topping of bread crumbs or cheese and then browned. In French “le gratin” means crust and the verb “gratiner” means to brown, usually under a broiler.

In addition to the famous French potato dish called 'gratin dauphinois,' cooking au gratin is a widely used cooking technique in the preparation of numerous dishes. Gratin de chou-fleur is a classic dish in every French family.

The cold weather continues to blanket Paris and the icy wind is whipping across the city. This big freeze is showing no signs of easing up after another day of snow and plummeting temperatures. So to stay warm, I am only cooking hearty meals; I'm talking soups, stews and of course gratins. What better way to keep out wintry chills than with hearty dishes. The combination of tender cauliflower, creamy sauce, crunchy topping and melted cheese make a delightful weeknight meal.

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

Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC).

Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan.

Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 11 by 2-inch baking dish. Place the drained cauliflower on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Gratin de chou-fleur 

Ingrédients:
1 chou fleur
sel
50 g de beurre
50 g de farine
1/2 litre de lait chaud
1/2 càc de poivre noir
1/4 càc de noix de muscade rapé
60 g de Gruyère rapé
40 g de Parmesan rapé

3 càs de chapelure

Préchauffez le four à 190ºC.

Détailler le chou-fleur en petits bouquets, les laver et les faire bouillir 5 à 6 mn. Égoutter.

Pendant ce temps, faire fondre la moitié du beurre (25g) dans une casserole à feu doux. Ajouter la farine d'un coup et bien remuer 2 mn. Faire bouillir le lait. Ajouter le lait bouillant au mélange farine-beurre. Bien remuer et mettre à feu moyen jusqu'à ce que le mélange épaississe. Hors feu, ajouter le sel, le poivre, la noix de muscade, 30 g de Gruyère et le Parmesan.

Napper le fond du plat à gratin gratin avec le 1/3 de la béchamel. Disposez les bouquets de chou-fleur au dessus puis napper du reste de la sauce béchamel. Mélanger la chapelure avec l'autre moitié de Gruyere et saupoudrer. Faites fondre l'autre moitié de beurre (25g) et versez sur le gratin. Enfournez 25 à 30 mn jusqu'à ce que le dessus soit gratiné.


Recipe adapted from Ina Garten