Cauliflower Gratin with Béchamel

No ratings yet

Cauliflower boiled briefly, covered in a garlic béchamel and cheese, and finished under the grill. Half an hour, and draining the cauliflower properly is what keeps the sauce from going watery.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Colombian

Keyword: cauliflower gratin with cheese and béchamel sauce

Servings:

Calories: 52kcal

Author: Angela Giraldo

Ingredients

2 medium cauliflowers broken into florets
50 g mozzarella or parmesan cheese grated, for the top
Black pepper

For the béchamel

½ liter milk cold, added to the hot roux
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour equal to the butter
2 tablespoons butter
Salt, to taste
Spices, to taste nutmeg is the classic one

Instructions

Wash the cauliflowers well, drain them and cut them into small florets. Rinse them again to get rid of any grit.
Bring 2 cups of water to the boil in a pot, add the cauliflower with a pinch of salt and boil briefly, until just tender. Drain it thoroughly.
In a pan, melt half a tablespoon of the butter with the garlic and cook until golden. Add the rest of the butter and the flour, cook for a minute, then pour in the cold milk and stir until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper and spices.
Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Put the cauliflower in an ovenproof dish, spread the sauce over it and scatter the cheese on top.
Bake for about 10 minutes with heat above and below, then grill for three minutes to brown the top.
Serve hot, while the cheese still stretches.

Notes

Drain the cauliflower properly and give it a minute to steam dry. Water clinging to the florets goes straight into the béchamel in the oven and turns a good sauce thin and grey. Boil it briefly too: cauliflower that is already soft before it goes into the dish collapses entirely during the baking. The béchamel is butter and flour in equal amounts cooked for a minute, then cold milk added while stirring, and nutmeg is the classic seasoning. The final three minutes under the grill is what makes it a gratin rather than a bake.

Nutrition