Cauliflower Leek And Bacon Gratin Recipe 4

CAULIFLOWER GRATIN WITH LEEKS AND WHITE CHEDDAR

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Slice cauliflower head lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices, including the core and leaves. (Some smaller bits will fall away: That's fine. You'll use them as well.)
• Drizzle some olive oil onto the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. (An oval, square or rectangular dish will all work.) Layer about a third of the cauliflower along the bottom, and about a third of the leeks. Season with salt and pepper, and repeat until all of the cauliflower and leeks are used. (Don't worry about perfectly layering them.) Season with salt and pepper and drizzle cream over. Scatter cheese on top, and season again with salt and pepper. Lightly cover with foil and place in the oven.
• Bake until cauliflower is nearly tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until cream has thickened and reduced nearly completely and the top is golden brown and crisp, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before eating.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER & LEEK GRATIN RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• ROASTED VEGETABLES: Cut cauliflower into florets that are 1 1/2 inches wide. In a large bowl, toss the florets with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and spread out on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender with just a bit of bite and browned. 35-40 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic after 20minutes. Cut leeks into 1-inch pieces and toss with remaining oil and salt. Spread out on another rimmed baking sheet and roast until crispy in some parts and soft throughout. About 15 minutes. You can do this ahead of time (hours in advance). GRATIN SAUCE: Melt butter over medium low heat. Whisk in flour and cook. Stir constantly for 3-5 minutes, make sure that it doesn't brown. Whisk in the milk until smooth. Bring to a simmer. Maintain the heat so that it is bubbling gently, stir often until the sauce thickens and the flour cooks. Add 1/3 of parmesan and stir until just melted. Remove from heat and season well with salt and pepper. Stir in mustard. When the vegetables are done, reduce the vegetable temperature to 350°F. Toss the vegetables with the ham and add to a pan. Pour sauce evenly over vegetables. Combine the breadcrumbs with the remaining cheese and sprinkle over the top. Roasting the leeks and cauliflower (which you can do well ahead) brings out deeper flavor and a crisp-around-the edges texture. Serve as a dish with roasted meat or as a main course with salad and bread. If you don't feel like making the white sauce, gently warm 1 1/2 cups in a saucepan until it bubbles around the edges then stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Pour it over the vegetables.

CAULIFLOWER AND BACON GRATIN

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 8-inch casserole dish. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a food processor, blend the bread until it forms into crumbs.
• In a large non-stick skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring constantly until all the butter has been absorbed and the bread crumbs are toasted, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream and flour. Add the capers, bacon and 1/2 cup of the Gruyere. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the cauliflower and cook for 2 minutes. Drain the cauliflower and toss with the cream mixture. Pour the cauliflower mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
• Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown.

CAULIFLOWER, LEEK AND BACON GRATIN RECIPE - (4/5)

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 inch square or oval dish. 2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook cauliflower for 5 minutes. Drain. Set aside in a bowl. 3. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes or until crispy. Set aside on paper towels. Discard all but 2 tsp. of fat. Add leeks to the skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until very soft and just starting to turn golden. Transfer to the bowl with the cauliflower. Add bacon. 4. Wipe skillet clean. Melt butter in the skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle with flour; cook, whisking, for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Whisk for 3 to 5 minutes or until smooth and thickened. Whisk in the Gruyere, Parmesan and salt until cheese is melted. 5. Pour over cauliflower mixture, stirring until well coated. 6. Transfer to buttered dish. Topping: In a bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, cheese and butter. Sprinkle over the dish. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden on top and heated throughout. Variation: Use broccoli and cheddar in place of cauliflower and Gruyere and Parmesan.