Cauliflower and Broccoli Gratin on the side of Honey-Balsamic Chicken with Caramelized Onions and Dates
Looking at the chicken, pork, and sides under labels on the side bar, it's not hard to see that side dishes are lacking on this blog. I'm going to work on that. Broccoli and cauliflower covered in cheese is a good place to start. The cheese was about 7 ounces of leftover Gruyère from when I made Onion Soup. (The rest of the soup went into the freezer for later.)
The recipe was executed almost exactly like the original recipe called for. I only delayed when the vegetables went into the baking dish to optimize drying time.
Cauliflower and Broccoli Gratin
adapted from Cooking Club of America
5 c broccoli florets (about 1 3/4 lb.)
2 c whole milk
1/4 c plus 1 tbsp butter, divided
1/3 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp dry mustard
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
1/2 c panko
2 c shredded Gruyère, Comté or Manchego cheese, divided
Heat oven to 425ºF. Spray 13x9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook cauliflower in large pot of boiling salted water 3 minutes or until almost tender.
With slotted spoon, place in large bowl of ice water to stop cooking.
Heat oven to 425ºF. Spray 13x9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook cauliflower in large pot of boiling salted water 3 minutes or until almost tender.
With slotted spoon, place in large bowl of ice water to stop cooking.
Add broccoli to boiling water; cook 2 minutes or until almost tender.
Place in ice water. Drain cauliflower and broccoli well.
Microwave milk in 4-cup glass measuring cup or equivalent bowl 2 to 3 minutes or until steaming hot but not boiling. Melt 1/4 cup of the butter in large saucepan over medium heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from heat.
Gradually whisk in hot milk.
Return saucepan to medium-high heat; bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes or until thick, whisking occasionally.
Remove from heat; whisk in mustard, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.
Microwave remaining 1 tablespoon butter in small microwave-safe bowl until melted; stir in panko.
Pat cauliflower and broccoli dry; transfer to baking dish. Sprinkle cauliflower and broccoli with 1 cup of the cheese; top with sauce.
Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese; top with panko mixture.
(Gratin can be made to this point 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Add 5 to 10 minutes to baking time.)
Bake, uncovered, 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
While the vegetable blanching was a little annoying (have lots of ice! I think I went through four or five trays of cubes), those steps won't deter me from doing this recipe again. Be careful you don't overdo that initial cooking part as your broccoli and cauliflower will soften up some more during baking. I was really careful to heed the minimum time and my vegetables still had a little bit of a bite when finished. The panko-crunch was also enjoyable.
As for the cheese, well, you can't go wrong with Gruyère.
Cost:
- cauliflower: $3.67
- broccoli: $3.22
- milk: $1.39
- butter: $0.30
- Gruyère: $7.87
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