I love cauliflower. I love it raw as a crunchy healthy snack. I love it roasted with crispy browned edges. I love it in a cheddary soup. Or puréed into fake mashed potatoes. Cauliflower has to be one of the world’s most adaptable and dress-up-able vegetables. No where is cauliflower’s haute capabilities more clear than in a gratin. Honestly it’s hard to go wrong given that we are smothering lightly steamed cauliflower in a cheesy Gruyere and leek béchamel, and baking it topped with butter toasted fresh breadcrumbs. It’s as if the vegetable wanted to remind us of what she is capable of. A worthy side to glazed ham, roast beef, brisket, or roast chicken.
1 head cauliflower, cored, broken into bite-sized florets (see How to Cut and Core Cauliflower)
2 medium-small leeks, cleaned, halved lengthwise, sliced into 1/4-in thick slices, white and light green parts only, about 2 cups
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups milk
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
For the topping
1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (3 slices sandwich or rustic bread, pulsed in a food processor)
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
The steaming should just take the rawness out of the cauliflower, but not cook it so much that it is tender. You want the cauliflower at this stage to be al dente. Remove strainer and cauliflower from hot pan and set aside. Bake for 25 minutes.
