Roasted Cauliflower Gratin
So this dish isn’t going to win any beauty contests, but it sure was tasty. As a general rule, I’m not a huge cauliflower fan. But after seeing a couple versions recently of a cauliflower gratin, it seemed worth a try. I took what I liked best from both versions. It’s a little more trouble thana normal side dish, but it still comes together pretty quickly. It’s definitely worthwhile to roast the cauliflower instead of just blanching it — it adds much more depth of flavor to the dish.
Really, despite the picture — give this one a try.
Roasted Cauliflower Gratin
1 head cauliflower
1/4 t coriander
1/4 t cumin
1/8 t white pepper
1/8 t nutmeg
1/8 t allspice
salt to taste
olive oil
For sauce:
1 T butter
1 T flour
3/4 c milk
1/4 c half and half
1/2 c Fontina (or other cheese that melts well)
dash white pepper
dash nutmeg
For topping:
1/3 c breadcrumbs
1/4 c Fontina or other cheese
Olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 F. Chop cauliflower into bite size florets. Toss cauliflower with spices (next 6 ingredients) and a little olive oil to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste. Roast in a jelly roll pan until just barely fork tender but still crisp, about 10 minutes. (Be careful not to cook too long, or it’ll get mushy once you bake it.)
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook a few minutes, stirring constantly, until slightly browned. Stir in milk and half and half and bring to a simmer. Stir in cheese, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from heat and adjust seasoning.
Prepare topping: stir together breadcrumbs and remaining cheese. Add a little olive oil, just enough that the breadcrumbs will hold together a bit.
Turn down oven to 375. Mix the cauliflower and sauce in a casserole dish. Sprinkle with topping. Bake 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.
