Cheesy cauliflower gratin with nutty Gruyere cheese, sautéed leeks, and butter-toasted breadcrumbs!
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
Cauliflower Gratin. How do you turn the simplest of vegetables into a creamy, cheesy rock star side dish? Bake to a gratin.
Nowhere is cauliflower’s haute-ability better expressed than in a gratin. Honestly, it’s hard to go wrong as we smother lightly steamed cauliflower in a cheesy Gruyère leek béchamel sauce and bake it with butter-toasted fresh breadcrumbs.
It’s as if the vegetable is trying to remind us what it’s capable of.
A worthy accompaniment to glazed ham, roast beef, brisket or roast chicken.
Cauliflower Gratin
ingredients
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1 head cauliflowerseeded, cut into bite-sized florets (see Cutting and seeding the cauliflower)
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2 medium-small Leekcleaned, halved lengthwise, sliced 1/4-inch thick, white and light green parts only, about 2 cups
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2 tablespoon butter
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2 tablespoon all purpose flour
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1 1/3 cups milk
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4 ounces Gruyere cheesegrated
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1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
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1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
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1 teaspoon Salt
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Black pepper
topping:
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1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (3 slices of sandwich or farmhouse bread, pulsed in a food processor)
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1 tablespoon butter
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1/4 teaspoon Salt
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Black pepper
special equipment
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steam basket
method
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Cook leek:
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and cook gently until completely tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
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Lightly steam the cauliflower:
While the leeks are cooking, place the cauliflower florets in a steamer basket in a saucepan about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water. Bring water to a boil, cover the cauliflower and steam for 3 to 4 minutes.
Steaming should just take the rawness out of the cauliflower, but not cook it to the point of becoming tender. The cauliflower should be al dente by this point. Remove the colander and cauliflower from the hot pan and set aside.
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Prepare roux with butter, leek, flour, add milk:
Add 2 tablespoons of flour to the leek and butter. Stir and cook for a minute or two. Slowly add the milk, stirring to break up any lumps. Bring to a boil and keep stirring while the sauce thickens.
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Stir in cheese, thyme, nutmeg, salt:
Once the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, stir in 3 ounces of the shredded cheese (reserve the rest of the cheese for the topping), the thyme, nutmeg, and salt.
How to thicken sauceCONTINUE READING:
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Preheat oven to 400°F
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Pour sauce over cauliflower in gratin dish:
Spread a teaspoon of butter on the inside of a 2 liter gratin dish. Place the lightly steamed cauliflower florets in the dish in an even layer. Pour the leek and cheese sauce over the cauliflower. Top with the remaining cheese.
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Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes
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Toast bread crumbs:
While the gratin is baking, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fresh breadcrumbs and toast in the melted butter, until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Remove from stove.
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Top the gratin with toasted breadcrumbs and bake:
After 25 minutes baking time, remove the gratin from the oven. Sprinkle the toasted breadcrumbs on top and put back in the oven. Bake another 5 minutes.
Links:
How to cut and core cauliflower
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 308 | calories |
| 15g | Fat |
| 31g | carbohydrates |
| 13g | protein |
