Cauliflower au Gratin – a Meatless Monday Favorite

The word  gratin comes from the verb  grattiner  which means to cover in cheese and bake in the oven thus, a gratin is a dish that is covered with cheese that has been browned/baked in the oven. A gratin dish is a shallow oven-proof dish that is usually oval in shape. Any shallow oven-proof dish can be used. I usually opt for my 2 quart square glass casserole dish that is about 2 inches deep. If you are serving the gratin as a main course, it makes a lovely presentation in proper gratin dishes.

Potatoes which are prepared as  a gratin are also called potatoes dauphinoise – more on those later. I just found an excellent recipe for potatoes dauphinoise.

Gratins make an excellent protein dish if you are interested in an option for the current trend of “meatless Monday”. Add a salad and other veggies of your choice and you have a lovely meal. Gratins  are also an excellent way to get picky eaters to eat vegetables!

 

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons grated onion
• 1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
• salt for cauliflower
• 4 ounces finely grated Gruyere cheese
• 3 slightly rounded tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F. Butter a 1 1/2 quart gratin dish and set it aside. [Note- I use a 2 quart dish because gratins  tend to bubble and boil in the oven and a slightly larger dish protects against spillage.]

Sauce

Mix flour in one cup of milk until thoroughly blended. In medium sauce pan, heat the milk with the onion and thyme until it steams – do not bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in flour/milk combination and bring to a boil over medium heat. Whisk continually to prevent lumps and sticking. Reduce heat to low and cook slowly until thickened. Whisk frequently. If it is lumpy, pass through a sieve.

Add nutmeg, and black and cayenne peppers to taste. Gently stir in grated cheese and butter.

Cauliflower

While the sauce simmers, bring a medium pot of water with steamer basket to a boil, season cauliflower with salt, and add to steamer basket. Cover and cook until tender when pierced with a knife. Drain and pat dry. Place cauliflower florets in a buttered gratin dish with florets facing up.

Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower.

Bake until the top of the cauliflower gratin is golden brown and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Bon Appetit!