Cauliflower Gratin

Cauliflower is an overlooked vegetable in my house. Not sure why. I ate it occasionally as a kid. I know its full of vitamins, despite it's pasty appearance. Somewhere between broccoli and a potato. My daughter is in charge of choosing our Sunday dinner menu and this weekend we were focused on the letter C for no real reason other than the fun of it. We had Calamari (fried), creamed spinach, cauliflower and crumb apple pie.

As I said, cauliflower is not really on my menu radar, so I needed ideas. You can always trust a Ina Garten recipe. She bugs with her stuffy Hapton-ness, but her recipes are spot on.

Cauliflower Gratin
2004, Barefoot in Paris, All Rights Reserved
Prep Time:
20 min
Inactive Prep Time:
--
Cook Time:
30 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
1 (3-pound) head cauliflower, cut into large florets
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 cup freshly grated Gruyere, divided
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
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.