Cauliflower Cheddar Gratin
Tender cauliflower florets baked under a creamy milk sauce with a golden cheddar crust. A comforting single-serving gratin with a bubbling, browned top.
- Total
- 47 min
- Prep 12 · Cook 30 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Making a roux · Simmering
- Savory
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 200°C. Cut the cauliflower into 3 cm florets and set them in a colander.
~5 min
-
Bring 500 ml water to a boil in a saucepan, add the cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes, until a knife slides into a stem with slight resistance. Drain well and leave in the colander to steam dry.
~5 min
Parboiling sets the florets' texture so they finish cooking in the oven without turning to mush.
Draining the cauliflower well and letting it steam dry keeps the sauce thick instead of watery, since the florets release water in the oven.
Simmering Keep a gentle bubble, not a rolling boil, so the cauliflower cooks evenly and the sauce thickens without scorching.
-
Melt the butter in the same saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, until it smells biscuity and pulls away from the pan.
~1 min
Cooking the flour in butter removes its raw taste and thickens the milk into a smooth sauce.
Making a roux Cook the flour and butter until it smells biscuity and pulls from the pan; undercooking leaves a raw flour taste.
-
Pour in 180 ml milk in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, then stir in 30 g cheddar until melted.
~4 min
Simmering lets the sauce reduce and thicken so it clings to the cauliflower instead of running.
Simmering Keep a gentle bubble, not a rolling boil, so the cauliflower cooks evenly and the sauce thickens without scorching.
-
Fold the drained cauliflower into the sauce, tip everything into a baking dish and scatter the remaining 15 g cheddar over the top.
~3 min
-
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the sauce bubbles at the edges and the cheddar is melted and golden brown. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
~25 min
The hot oven browns the cheese and bubbles the sauce, concentrating flavor and texture.
If the top is not browned after 20 minutes, slide the dish under the grill for 2 minutes, watching closely so the cheddar does not burn.