Gratinee of Cauliflower Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Cathy

Delicious. Per the comments of others, I cut the butter down to 3T. Instead of 1.5 C of whipping cream, I used a combination of cream, half and half, and skim milk. I chopped up an onion and sauteed that in the butter before adding the garlic. I substituted chopped up kale for the prosciuto. I used gruyere instead of swiss cheese.

Christine

Double the cauliflower and you have perfection.

Jane

How can this recipe be labeled "vegetarian" when it contains prosciutto?

Steve Abbott

This, though decadent, is the BEST cauliflower dish I have ever had. The recipe realistically makes 6 servings, about 500 cal per serving.
Altered recipe using 3 oz prosciutto, 1 seeded Anaheim pepper, and parmesan-reggiano grated cheese. No salt was needed with prosciutto. I prepped through the boiling, let it sit covered on stove for an hour, and put in oven before dinner. Next time consider only 2 oz prosciutto, partial/full substitution half and half for heavy cream, and hotter pepper.

Lisa Houck

As Christine suggested, I doubled the amount of cauliflower. Roasted half while following the recipe with the rest, then combined all and mixed well before putting everything into the dish and topping with Gruyere and parsley. Also used two extra cloves of garlic, but kept the amounts of everything else (except the cauliflower) the same. Wonderful!

Kelly

Used bacon (didn't have prosciutto) and cut the fat from butter as I did with the milk and used gruyere. Very nice. Very rich. Doesn't need the prosciutto or bacon.

Gillian Grant

I did this twice and the second time changed the whipping cream and swiss cheese to 3/4 cup. The original was way too rich for me!

Kim

Made this again, for Thanksgiving, using half-and-half and cutting butter back to 5 T. Perfect! This will be a (luxurious) staple at our house.

Louisa Cabot Myers

Can this be made ahead and refrigerated a day or two or frozen without the topping? Bake when ready to serve?

Kim

Delicious but rich and a little oily. I used light cream; next time I'll try half and half, and use only 4-5 T butter.

Dana

Tried this tonight. Too much milk/cream, and the bake time was way too long. We like our cauliflower a little crunchy, and this made it overdone. I may try this again by making a cheese sauce and pouring that over the slightly cooked cauliflower, then just browning the cheese topping under the broiler.

Alicia

Outstanding. I did not use any butter. Just enough olive oil to keep garlic and cauliflower from burning. I had left over whole milk on hand so I used that - full amount recipe called for. Perfectly creamy enough without using cream. Did not use prosciutto, as we had vegetarians around. As someone said above, kale would have subbed perfectly. Also as someone else said only needed one cup of cheese, and if I made it again I’d use a little less, still. Used Jarlsberg cheese and it was a great fit.

Brenda

add different cheeses. we did Jarlsberg (for the swiss) and then added mozzarella as well. verrrrry yummy

DWS

To keep the garlic from over browning I reverse the sauté order of the prosciutto and garlic and it needs 1/3 cup of shallots. I also add 2 cups of mushrooms to cauliflower sauté. And I prefer Alpenzeller as the choice for an alpine cheese. When served with a salad this makes an excellent entree.

Austin Val

I have made this recipe for years (pretty much exactly as written) starting with when it was published in "The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook." While this may not be the healthiest cauliflower dish around, it's certainly one of the most delicious.

Laura G.

Whole milk is fine; with one small cauliflower, I used one cup milk, 3 Tbsp butter, 2 Tbsp flour, and about a cup of cheese, divided (3/4 mixed in, 1/4 sprinkled on top). Subbed garlic powder for the garlic--it blends better--and added about a Tbsp of dijon mustard. Cauliflower taste still came through.

Jean

Delicious! Used 1 Corning ware pan for stovetop and oven. Used 2 T. Butter, reconstituted dry milk in lieu of cream; beef salami and turkey mortadella for meat.

Low carb maker and baker

I cut out the proscuitto. As a vegetarian gratin, I found Cauliflower Gratin with Leeks and White Cheddar a million times better!

Rosa Kumar

So, so delicious, planning to serve this at my next dinner party! My variations: 1/2 cup of cream and 1 cup skim milk, I added thyme and chilli flakes, no prosciutto (a few shallots instead), and topped with Gruyère and panko instead of Swiss!

Charlotte K

A classic gratin, very good. The first "cauliflower cheese" I've ever made that wasn't watery. I used olive oil instead of butter and half & half instead of cream to keep the doctor happy ;-) Still delicious!

Meg Gawler

Thank you. Love this! For a good vegetarian version, substitute 100 g (3.5 oz) fresh shiitake mushrooms for the prosciutto. Sauté the shiitake first. Then add the garlic for only a minute before adding the cauliflower. To keep the natural architecture of the cauliflower, rather than slicing, I just separate the florets into small ones including their attachment to the stem. After sautéing the cauliflower, I add 100 ml (½ cup) dry white wine to the hot skillet and stir until evaporated.

Lindsay

Left out the flour. Added a handful of Parmesan and handful of pepper Jack cheese to heavy cream before pouring over the cauliflower. After 30 mins in oven, switched to the broiler for 4 mins.

Gerry

Good. Little watery. Add a little more flour.

Tina

I have made this for years for Thanksgiving. Always a favorite. I like all the suggestions on cutting back on the cream, different cheeses, etc I agree that it can be a little oily so this may be the year to perfect the dish!

Michael

I made this when i was in Italy and didn't use prosciutto or salt. I used 2 small anchovies and added them when you would add the prosciutto. I also used oat milk in place of cream. Delicious especially when I used a stronger more flavorful cheese. My Italian friends loved it.

Michael

Also used olive oil no butter needed!

Jodi

Absolutely delicious! I halved the recipe and still added a good pinch of cayenne. Perfect accomplimment to simple chicken or pork dish.

Paul

Wow, rich and creamy. Great taste. It was great with BBQ pork shoulder as a lower carb side for macaroni and cheese. Next time I’ll par-boil the cauliflower to cut down on the need for a lot of butter to sauté until soft, use an ultra-pasteurized low fat milk and low fat cheese.

Shwillary

what size cooking vessel are people typically using here? the shallow au gratin dish referenced doesn't account for volume

Susan, Luxembourg

I steamed the cauliflower first. Reduced the butter to just a spoonful then gently sautéed some over ripe cherry tomatoes I had in the fridge. Only then did I add the garlic. Then quickly added some leftover pork loin, reduced the heavy cream by half and added a small amount of leftover chicken stock. Then into the oven with some Parmesan and Emmentaler grated cheese - delicious and not so heavy.

Tkrenov

Per suggestions, reduced the butter by half. Eliminated the Swiss cheese, as the first time I made this dish the cheese was overwhelming (I think the cauliflower should be the star here). Instead I topped it with a cup of parmesan. I like my cauliflower crunchy, so I sauteed for two minutes, baked for 10 minutes, and broiled until browned.

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Gratinee of Cauliflower Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do you soak cauliflower before cooking? ›

If you're planning to roast the cauliflower whole or slice it into steaks, slice off the thick stem at the base. Drop the whole cauliflower head upside-down into cool, salted water. Let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes to remove dirt, residue and bugs.

Why is my cauliflower gratin watery? ›

The watery problem happens when the cauliflower is either overcooked or not drained well enough after a quick blanching.

What brings out the Flavour of cauliflower? ›

There are two really simple techniques that bring out the best in cauliflower: grilling and pickling. Dumping cauliflower florets in a mixture of salt and lemon juice for 45 minutes to an hour turns them into spiky little flavor bombs, delivering high-pitched squeaks in salads, sandwiches or the stew recipe here.

How do you keep cauliflower from getting soggy? ›

"Be sure to give each floret a bit of room so that the they have space for airflow. I'd also recommend baking them on a silicone baking mat," says Blay. The edges will get much crispier than they would if you baked them on parchment paper.

What will adding lemon juice to the water for cooking cauliflower do? ›

Food Science

Cauliflower contains some phytonutrients, these nutrients may react with iron cookware and gives the cauliflower a brownish color. To prevent this add some lemon juice to the cauliflower or to the water in which it is blanched.

What happens when you add lemon juice to water when cooking cauliflower? ›

Helps retain color: Cauliflower can sometimes turn brown or lose its vibrant white color when cooked. However, the acid in lemon juice can help prevent discoloration and maintain the cauliflower's white appearance.

Why did my gratin curdle? ›

The curdling is caused by high heat, which is hard to avoid in an oven. So to keep the sauce together, tackle it before the dish goes in the oven.

How to fix runny gratin? ›

Try letting the dish rest for 10 minutes or so to let the water get absorbed and let the sauce thicken. Try cooking your recipe longer. Try uncovering the dish in the oven for the last 10 minutes or so.

Can you overcook cauliflower? ›

Overcooked cauliflower has a strong odor and yellowish color due to sulfur compounds that are released. Cook cauliflower rapidly to preserve color and flavor.

What does baking soda do to cauliflower? ›

Baking soda is often used as a natural cleaning agent, and it can be used to brighten up your veggies too. Sprinkle a little in the water before boiling to prevent cauliflower from yellowing and make corn look more vibrant.

What is the purple stuff in cauliflower? ›

The purple color in cauliflower is caused by the presence of anthocyanin, which is a harmless, water-soluble pigment in the curd. Anthocyanin is the same pigment found in red cabbage. Sun exposure exaggerates its effect on the developing cauliflower head.

What does soaking cauliflower in milk do? ›

When blanching or cooking cauliflower, keep it white by adding 1 cup of milk. The milk will also give the cauliflower a sweeter flavor.

Why isn't my roasted cauliflower crispy? ›

2) Don't overcrowd the pan.

Like all veggies, cauliflower needs some breathing room on the pan. Otherwise, the florets will produce so much steam that they'll never turn crisp on the edges. It's better to use two pans, arranged on separate racks near the middle of the oven, than to cram too much onto one pan.

Should you wash cauliflower before cooking? ›

The separated florets have to be washed properly under a tap. This removes dirt and large parasites such as worms. The next step is cleaning the cauliflower in mildly warm water in which a little salt was dissolved. This process – which should last 10-20 minutes - destroys several microbes and large parasites.

Is it necessary to boil cauliflower before cooking? ›

Since cauliflower is naturally mild, roasting it in a hot oven brings out a rich flavor. For a fast, low-fat cooking method, boil florets just until they're tender or steam them in the microwave.

Should I soak cauliflower? ›

The natural nooks and crevices in broccoli and cauliflower are the perfect hiding spot for dirt, germs and even little bugs. Get your cruciferous veggies squeaky clean by filling a sink with cold water and then soaking them for a few minutes.

How long to soak cauliflower in vinegar water? ›

Produce with rough outer skin: Items such as broccoli, potatoes and cauliflower are a little harder to clean. Soak in a solution of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water for 1 minute. For heads of cabbage or lettuce, it's best to separate the leaves first.

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