Try this Cauliflower Gratin recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 9.52321500000438 g
- Cholesterol 49.8037500156972 mg
- Fat 18.2684775059219 g
- Fiber 4.2 g
- Protein 9.24011250006206 g
- Saturated Fat 11.3657520037504 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (281g)
- Sodium 392.550114625387 mg
- Sugar 5.32321500000438 g
- Trans Fat 1.28122950041455 g
- Calories 229 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil then add the cauliflower florets and boil until al dente (don’t over boil!) 3-4 minutes.
- Drain then set aside.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat then sprinkle in flour and cook for 1 minute while whisking constantly.
- Slowly pour in milk while whisking then turn heat up to medium-high and bring to a simmer while whiskingconstantly.
- Turn heat back down to medium then simmer for 1 minute or until milk has thickened, still stirring constantly.
- Remove pan from the heat then add 1/2 cup each gruyere and parmesan cheeses and stir until smooth.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add enough of the cheese sauce to thinly coat the bottom of an 8x11†baking pan.
- Add cauliflower florets then cover with remaining sauce.
- Top with remaining cheeses then bake for 30-35 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
- Broil for a few minutes at the end if you want a darker top.
Home cooks routinely ruin vegetable gratins by submerging raw brassicas in heavy cream and hoping the oven will do the work. French culinary tradition dictates instead that cauliflower must be blighted in boiling water briefly and drained thoroughly to prevent excess moisture from breaking the emulsion of the surrounding sauce. This dish traces its lineage to the gratins of Dauphiné, where starchy vegetables were historically baked in shallow earthenware dishes to maximize the crust-to-interior ratio. When making the white sauce, cooking the butter and flour mixture for precisely one minute eliminates the raw taste of cereal starch without browning the fats, ensuring a pale blond roux that thickens the milk effectively. Gruyère contributes high levels of volatile sulfur compounds and amino acids that, when paired with the umami-rich glutamate in aged Parmesan, create a deep savory profile through Maillard reactions during the final baking phase. Using room temperature 2 percent milk prevents the warm roux from seizing into lumps when the dairy is introduced to the saucepan. The assembled dish requires baking at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for thirty to thirty-five minutes until bubbling occurs, followed optionally by a brief turn under the broiler to caramelize the dairy proteins on the surface.
