If you're looking for a an elegant and sumptuous dish to impress your family and friends with this Holiday season, look no further. This Cauliflower Gratin is for you! The recipe is simple and straightforward. It can be made ahead and served either hot or at room temperature. And, it's rich and amazingly delicious.
In French, “le gratin” means crust and the verb “gratiner” means to brown. Thus, a gratin is a sort of a French casserole in which ingredients are topped with a mixture of breadcrumbs, grated cheese and butter that are baked or broiled to form a golden crust on top. It is traditionally served right from the oven in its baking dish. Gotta love that!
The foundation of this gratin is, of course, the cauliflower. However, you can make a gratin – especially this gratin – with any vegetables you choose. Frankly, since whatever you use is going to be bathed in an incredibly creamy, rich, cheesy béchamel sauce, who really cares! Actually, I’m just kidding about that part, (um…not really). My point is that no matter what ingredients you decide to “gratin” using this recipe, the result will be fabulous!
This article appears in Dec 9-15, 2009.