Breaking Tradition

For as long as I can remember, we have served green bean/corn casserole at every Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve meal. After I made it a few weeks back for Thanksgiving (and subsequently brought half the dish home), I decided to try a new vegetable dish for the family's Christmas dinner. As luck would have it, Mike and I were watching Barefoot Contessa last Sunday while getting ready for church as we usually do, and she made a Cauliflower Gratin that we both thought looked delicious. Even better, she was featuring recipes that could be made in the day before and cooked when needed. This proved to be even more important when I was knocked out with a sinus infection and didn't have the energy to be in the kitchen for hours getting stuff ready.
I was leary as to how the family would react to this foreign veggie at our Christmas dinner, but I was pleasantly surprised at their acceptance. I've even been asked to make it again, so I consider it a success.

Ina Garten's Cauliflower Gratin
3 pounds cauliflower, cut into florets
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk, heated
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepepr
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (This makes the whole dish. Don't skip it.)
3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

Cook the cauliflower in salted water to cover for 5 to 6 minutes or until tender but still firm; drain.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour until a thick paste forms. Add the milk and cook until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat an immediately stir in the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan.
Pour 1/3 of the sauce over the bottom of a baking dish. Add the cauliflower and top with the remaining sauce. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup Gruyere and sprinkle over the top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and drizzle over the top. At this point, you may either cover and refrigerate the gratin overnight. When ready to bake, bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is light brown. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Comments

  1. hjoyferg12/27/10, 11:08 PM

    Blessid be the Ina Garten!! :D That looks uber-yum!

    ReplyDelete

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