A side dish, or on its own everyone's favorite!
This cauliflower au gratin is so easy to make and is a classic supper dish in the French home. It also makes a great accompaniment for other dishes of meat or chicken too, so is very versatile and scrumptious!
As you take it out of the oven, the smell is tantalysingly good!
Cauliflower au gratin is such a tasty and easy dish to make and is so versatile too. You can serve it just as it is with fresh crusty French bread and a fresh green salad like mesclun salad, or it can be equally good as a side dish with a main meal, with sausage is my favorite, Cassoulet or Sausage Recipe.
More Recipes Like This
Gratin is a crusty topping usually achieved by broiling or just baking a long time in the oven often with bread crumbs, cheese, or cream when mixed with the right food.
- Aubergines au Gratin is a yummy cheese crusted eggplant bake.
- Gratin Dauphinois is a creamy bowl of potatoes and garlic in a cream sauce.
📖 Recipe
Cauliflower Au Gratin
A side dish, or on its own everyone's favorite!
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower broken into florets
- 3 tablespoons/ 1½ oz/40gms butter
- 4 tablespoons / 2 oz/50gms flour
- 1½ cups milk/ ¾ pint/375mls
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard - this is optional for you but is included in French method and is delicious.
- 1½ tablespoons / 6 oz grated Swiss cheese or any hard cheese
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare your oven by preheating it to 350°F/177°C/Gas 3
- Prepare your gratin dish or shallow baking dish by lightly brushing it with butter.
- Cook your cauliflower florets in slightly salted boiling water for about six minutes until just tender but not sloppy! You can also steam them if preferred for about ten minutes.
- Now to make the sauce. Melt the butter in a heavy based saucepan over a low heat.
- Add the flour and cook until golden. Some people use a wooden spoon for this - I prefer to use a balloon whisk and stir gently. This way I get no lumps! Stir constantly.
- Pour in about half of the milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps forming and it will be lovely and smooth.
- Stir in the remaining milk, then the bay leaf. Stir constantly.
- Season with salt and pepper and nutmeg to your taste - literally, taste it at this stage.
- Reduce the heat and simmer and stir for a few minutes.
- Remove from the heat for the next part.
- Remove the bay leaf.
- Add the mustard and half of the grated cheese and stir until melted.
- Place the cauliflower florets in your dish and pour over the cheese sauce sprinkle the remainder of the cheese on top.
- Bake for about fifteen to twenty minutes until golden brown.
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Judith says
Cauliflower has always been one of my favourite vegetables; adding cheese makes it perfect! 🥦🧀