A classic Italian baked cauliflower gratin smothered in a rich Gruyère and Parmesan béchamel, topped with a golden breadcrumb and cheese crust.
2l
17.5ml
1,000g
500ml
55g
40g
0.25tsp
0.25tsp
80g
50g
15g
30g| # | Product | Quantity | Notes | State | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | 2l | — | — | |
| 2 | | 17.5ml | — | — | |
| 3 | | 1,000g | — | — | |
| 4 | | 500ml | — | — | |
| 5 | | 55g | — | — | |
| 6 | | 40g | — | — | |
| 7 | | 0.25tsp | — | — | |
| 8 | | 0.25tsp | — | — | |
| 9 | | 80g | — | — | |
| 10 | | 50g | — | — | |
| 11 | | 15g | — | — | |
| 12 | | 30g | — | — |
Pour the water into the large saucepan.
Water · 2 l
Add the fine sea salt to the water in the saucepan.
Fine sea salt · 1 tbspPlace the saucepan over high heat and bring the salted water to a rolling boil.
Hold the cauliflower under cold running water in the colander to rinse it thoroughly.
Cauliflower · 1,000 g
Lower the rinsed cauliflower into the boiling salted water.
Boil the cauliflower over high heat until a knife goes in but the florets are still slightly firm at the centre; they finish in the oven.
Tip the cauliflower into the colander and let it drain thoroughly.
Pour the whole milk into a clean saucepan.
Whole milk · 500 ml
Set the saucepan over low heat and warm the milk until it just begins to simmer, then remove from the heat.
Add the unsalted butter to a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat.
Unsalted butter · 55 g
Melt the butter over medium-low heat, swirling the pan until it is fully liquid and just beginning to foam.
Add the plain flour to the melted butter and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to form a smooth paste.
Plain flour · 40 g
Stir the roux constantly over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes until it turns a pale straw colour and smells biscuity.
Pour the warm milk into the pale roux in a steady stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
Stir the sauce continuously over medium heat and simmer until it is thick, smooth and coats the back of a spoon.
Add the fine sea salt to the sauce and stir to combine.
Fine sea salt · 0.5 tspAdd the ground nutmeg to the salted sauce and stir through.
Ground nutmeg · 0.25 tspAdd the ground black pepper to the sauce and stir to combine.
Ground black pepper · 0.25 tspAdd the Gruyère to the pepper-seasoned sauce and stir until fully melted and smooth.
Gruyère · 55 gAdd the Parmesan to the Gruyère-seasoned sauce and stir until melted and the béchamel is glossy.
Parmesan · 35 gHeat the oven to 200 °C and allow it to come fully up to temperature.
Use a pastry brush to spread the softened butter evenly over the base and sides of a 20 × 30 cm baking dish.
Softened butter · 15 g
Arrange the drained cauliflower in an even layer across the buttered baking dish.
Pour the cheese béchamel evenly over the arranged cauliflower so it is completely covered.
Tip the dried breadcrumbs into a small bowl.
Dried breadcrumbs · 30 g
Add the Gruyère to the breadcrumbs in the small bowl.
Gruyère · 25 gAdd the Parmesan to the bowl and toss everything together until evenly mixed.
Parmesan · 15 gScatter the breadcrumb-cheese topping evenly over the béchamel-coated cauliflower.
Place the baking dish in the oven.
Bake the gratin until the sauce is bubbling and the top is beginning to colour, about 22 minutes.
Using oven gloves, remove the baking dish from the oven.
Switch the grill to its highest setting and allow it to heat up fully.
Slide the baking dish under the grill.
Grill the gratin, watching it closely, until the breadcrumb and cheese crust is deep golden and crisp, about 4 minutes.
Using oven gloves, remove the baking dish from the grill.
| # | Product | Tool | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 l | | Pour the water into the large saucepan.⏱ 15sResultWater |
| 2 | 1 tbsp | | Add the fine sea salt to the water in the saucepan.⏱ 10sResultSalted water |
| 3 | — | | Place the saucepan over high heat and bring the salted water to a rolling boil.⏱ 8 minResultBoiling salted water |
| 4 | 1,000 g | | Hold the cauliflower under cold running water in the colander to rinse it thoroughly.⏱ 30sResultRinsed cauliflower |
| 5 | Rinsed cauliflowerstep 4 | | Lower the rinsed cauliflower into the boiling salted water.⏱ 20sResultBoiling salted water and rinsed cauliflower |
| 6 | — | | Boil the cauliflower over high heat until a knife goes in but the florets are still slightly firm at the centre; they finish in the oven.⏱ 5 minResultBoiled cauliflower |
| 7 | Boiled cauliflowerstep 6 | | Tip the cauliflower into the colander and let it drain thoroughly.⏱ 30sResultDrained cauliflowerused in step 23 |
| 8 | 500 ml | | Pour the whole milk into a clean saucepan.⏱ 15sResultWhole milk |
| 9 | — | | Set the saucepan over low heat and warm the milk until it just begins to simmer, then remove from the heat.⏱ 4 minResultWarm milkused in step 14 |
| 10 | 55 g | | Add the unsalted butter to a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat.⏱ 10sResultUnsalted butter |
| 11 | — | | Melt the butter over medium-low heat, swirling the pan until it is fully liquid and just beginning to foam.⏱ 2 minResultMelted butter |
| 12 | 40 g | | Add the plain flour to the melted butter and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to form a smooth paste.⏱ 2 minResultUncooked roux |
| 13 | — | | Stir the roux constantly over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes until it turns a pale straw colour and smells biscuity.⏱ 2 minResultPale roux |
| 14 | Warm milkstep 9 | | Pour the warm milk into the pale roux in a steady stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.⏱ 1 minResultPale roux and warm milk |
| 15 | — | | Stir the sauce continuously over medium heat and simmer until it is thick, smooth and coats the back of a spoon.⏱ 5 minResultThickened sauce |
| 16 | 0.5 tsp | | Add the fine sea salt to the sauce and stir to combine.⏱ 10sResultSalted sauce |
| 17 | 0.25 tsp | | Add the ground nutmeg to the salted sauce and stir through.⏱ 10sResultNutmeg-seasoned sauce |
| 18 | 0.25 tsp | | Add the ground black pepper to the sauce and stir to combine.⏱ 10sResultPepper-seasoned sauce |
| 19 | 55 g | | Add the Gruyère to the pepper-seasoned sauce and stir until fully melted and smooth.⏱ 1 minResultGruyère-seasoned sauce |
| 20 | 35 g | | Add the Parmesan to the Gruyère-seasoned sauce and stir until melted and the béchamel is glossy.⏱ 1 minResultCheese béchamelused in step 24 |
| 21 | — | | Heat the oven to 200 °C and allow it to come fully up to temperature.⏱ 10 min |
| 22 | 15 g | | Use a pastry brush to spread the softened butter evenly over the base and sides of a 20 × 30 cm baking dish.⏱ 30s |
| 23 | Drained cauliflowerstep 7 | | Arrange the drained cauliflower in an even layer across the buttered baking dish.⏱ 1 minResultArranged cauliflower |
| 24 | Cheese béchamelstep 20 | | Pour the cheese béchamel evenly over the arranged cauliflower so it is completely covered.⏱ 1 minResultBéchamel-coated cauliflower |
| 25 | 30 g | | Tip the dried breadcrumbs into a small bowl.⏱ 10sResultDried breadcrumbs |
| 26 | 25 g | | Add the Gruyère to the breadcrumbs in the small bowl.⏱ 10sResultCombined breadcrumbs |
| 27 | 15 g | | Add the Parmesan to the bowl and toss everything together until evenly mixed.⏱ 10sResultMixed breadcrumb-cheese topping |
| 28 | Mixed breadcrumb-cheese toppingstep 27 | | Scatter the breadcrumb-cheese topping evenly over the béchamel-coated cauliflower.⏱ 1 minResultTopped gratin |
| 29 | — | | Place the baking dish in the oven.⏱ 10sResultTopped gratin |
| 30 | — | | Bake the gratin until the sauce is bubbling and the top is beginning to colour, about 22 minutes.⏱ 22 minResultBubbling gratin |
| 31 | — | | Using oven gloves, remove the baking dish from the oven.⏱ 10sResultBubbling gratin |
| 32 | — | | Switch the grill to its highest setting and allow it to heat up fully.⏱ 5 min |
| 33 | — | | Slide the baking dish under the grill.⏱ 10sResultBubbling gratin |
| 34 | — | | Grill the gratin, watching it closely, until the breadcrumb and cheese crust is deep golden and crisp, about 4 minutes.⏱ 4 minResultGolden gratin |
| 35 | — | | Using oven gloves, remove the baking dish from the grill.⏱ 10sResultGolden gratin |
| Total Time | 49 min | ||
| Nutrient | per serving |
|---|---|
| 465kcal | |
| 22g | |
| 30g | |
| 18g | |
| 32g | |
| 11g | |
| 6g | |
| 2,503mg |
A classic Italian baked cauliflower gratin smothered in a rich Gruyère and Parmesan béchamel, topped with a golden breadcrumb and cheese crust.
What you’ll doYou will boil the cauliflower until just tender, make a béchamel from butter, flour and warm milk and enrich it with Gruyère, Parmesan and nutmeg. The cauliflower goes into a dish under the sauce and a breadcrumb and cheese topping, and is baked and browned under the grill.
