Choû-Fleur Au Gratin - Cauliflower Au Gratin

'Choû-Fleur' has an elegant ring to it doesn't it?  Well, it's simply French for cauliflower.  I love cauliflower in any form I can get it; raw on a crudité platter, soup, tempura, steamed.  Mostly, at my house, it gets steamed, mashed and seasoned with butter, salt and pepper.  That is my dinner many nights when I get home from work and am not super hungry.

I've been reading this book for quite some time now.  It was published by Gourmet Magazine in the 1950's and 1960's.  It's like a travel guide to the food in the different Provinces of France.  During those decades we in the United States were not as familiar with French cooking as we are now; thank goodness for Julia Child, so this served as an introduction to many basic French foods that are common place to us now. It's been a super interesting read and I have been having fun with basic French cooking through this book.  It was in this book that I found the recipe that I use as the base for any quiche I make.

Back to the cauliflower....  This evening I wasn't particularly hungry so I decided to do something with a head of cauliflower, oh, pardon me, choû-fleur, that I had in the fridge.  I decided to go very French basic.

Using this book I made Cauliflower Au Gratin.



Start with a nice, head of cauliflower.  Select one that is very white and void of a lot of brown spots.



Remove the green leaves and core the head.  Coring will help the separation into florets easy.



Separate the head into florets.  This is a pretty good size.



Rinse in a colander.



Place the cauliflower in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and cook the  cauliflower until tender yet a little crunchy; about 3 to 4 minutes.  Pierce one of the larger pieces of cauliflower to test.  You don't want to cook it completely.  

Normally I would steam the cauliflower but I want to boil the cauliflower this time so I will have some cooking liquid to add to the sauce.  Drain the cauliflower and save 1/2 cup of the liquid.  Set the cauliflower aside.

Since this is a gratin, there is going to be a sauce that the cauliflower bakes in.  To be a proper gratin this sauce will form a crust on the surface of the cauliflower when baked.

So now we make the sauce.  The base of most French cream sauces is a Béchamel sauce.  In the U.S.  we all learned to make this in Home Economics class as a white sauce.

The sauce we'll make for our gratin is a Mornay sauce which is a Béchamel glorified with cheese and cooking liquid from whatever you are cooking with.


 
Let's make a basic Béchamel which is equal parts butter, flour and milk seasoned with a little grated nutmeg. For this recipe we are going to make 2 cups of white sauce.

Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in the same saucepan that you cooked the cauliflower.  Once the butter has finished bubbling, whisk in 2 Tbsp. flour and blend until you make a paste, or a roux.  Whisk off fire and allow to cook for a minute or two to rid the mixture of a floury taste.



Add 2 cups of very hot milk and whisk until smooth.  Return to fire and whisk until the sauce begins to thicken.

Now, here is where the Béchamel sauce becomes Mornay Sauce.  Add the 1/2 cup of reserved liquid that you cooked the cauliflower in.    Boil until you have reduced the sauce by a good quarter.  This is an important step.  If you don't do this your gratin might be a little watery (which in itself will not ruin this dish.  But not much can ruin this dish).



Stir in the Parmesan and Gruyère cheeses.  Return to a low heat and stir in make sure the cheeses melt.


 
Add the nutmeg.  Remove from the heat and finish the sauce with 2 Tbsp. butter.  (hey, remember this is a French dish.  There will be a lot of butter).



Coat the bottom of the dish with some of the Mornay sauce.



Fold the cauliflower into the remainder of the sauce and coat thoroughly.



Pour the cauliflower into the gratin dish and top with the reserved Gruyère cheese and bake in a 375°F. oven for 40 minutes or until the top is nicely browned.



This is so fabulous and will make the perfect side dish for any entreé.


Choû-Fleur Au Gratin - Cauliflower Au Gratin
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients: 
1 head cauliflower
1/2 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
2 Tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg, preferably fresh ground
1/2 cup reserved cauliflower cooking liquid 
3 ounces Gruyere cheese, divided
2 ounces Parmesan cheese

Mise en Place:

• remove green leaves from cauliflower, core and break into florets.  Rinse and set aside
• measure out salt
• divide butter in 2 Tbsp. portions
• measure out flower and milk
• measure out nutmeg
• shred cheeses and set aside 1 ounce of the Gruyère from rest
• equipment:  saucepan, colander and gratin dish

Method:
Preheat oven to 375°F.  Place cauliflower in saucepan and cover with water.  Add 1/2 tsp. salt to the water.  Bring to a boil and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until cauliflower is tender yet still crunch.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and drain cauliflower in a colander.  Set aside.

Prepare the sauce.  In the same saucepan you cooked the cauliflower, melt 2 Tbsp. of the butter.  When the butter has stopped bubbling, pull saucepan off the heat and whisk in the flour until you have a roux.  Allow to cook off heat for a minute or two.  Heat the milk in the microwave for 3 minutes or until very hot.  Return pan to heat and add the milk to the roux and whisk until smooth and sauce begins to thicken.  Add the reserved cooking liquid and blend.  Cook sauce until it is reduced to by one quarter.  Pull pan off heat and whisk in the 2 ounces each of Gruyère and Parmesan.  Return to low heat and stir until the cheese is melted.  Add the nutmeg.  Pull pan off heat and finish off with the remaining two Tbsp. butter.

Cover the bottom of the gratin pan with some of the sauce.  Fold the cooked cauliflower into the sauce and stir to coat.  Pour into the gratin dish and bake for 40 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

Grilled Peppers and Onions

I had a bell pepper, red onion and jalapeños that I needed to use up so I thought I'd make a side for myself to go with the Grilled Pork Chops with Apple-Bourbon Glaze that were prepared for our Labor Day meal yesterday.

I didn't use all of those jalapeños in the photo above;  I used 4 or 5 of the smaller ones.


 

I wasn't after the heat of the peppers so I removed the seeds and the veins. Be sure to wear gloves when preparing the jalapeños; especially if you wear contacts that will be removed  before you go to bed.

I simply wanted the nice jalapeño flavor with just a bit of a bite

Don't all of the colors look pretty when tossed together?  Drizzle them with a little olive oil and a sprinkling of celery salt.

I put them on the grill in a make-shift grill basket

Shake them up from time to time until they have browned and softened to your liking.


 

They were light and flavorful. The jalapeños  gave the dish just the kick I wanted and the garlic added another depth to the peppers.

The best part is I got to eat them all myself as Lovey and Kiss weren't interested.


Grilled Peppers and Onions
Serves 2

Ingredients:
1/2 medium red onion
1 orange bell pepper
4 - 5 small jalapeños
3 large cloves garlic
olive oil
celery salt

Mise en Place:

• Slice onion
• core, seed and slice bell pepper
• seed, de-vein and slice jalapeños
• peel and slice garlic lengthwise

 Method:
Toss all vegetables in a small mixing bowl.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and season to taste with celery salt.

Place vegetables in a grilling basket and cook on grill over medium-high heat.  Toss periodically and continue grilling until the veggies are browned to your liking.

Crispy Oven Fries

For many years when I have endured numerous kitchen conundrums Cooks Illustrated has come to my rescue.  CI has to be one of my favorite food magazines because there is no paid advertising so when they test something or recommend a product, whether it be food stuffs or equipment, it is truly their opinion; not some manufacturer paying for their endorsement.  And they know their stuff.  The other reason is because they do all the hard work of testing and trying and figuring out why something does or doesn't work.

I spent years and countless pounds of potatoes trying to produce a good crispy oven 'fried' potato. Most of those attempts produced potatoes that were either limp, underdone, overdone or so crispy they resembled a piece of coal.  I just couldn't find the right formula for making them as good as deep fried potatoes; tender on the inside and crispy on the exterior.  I wanted the taste and texture without all the oil.  The solution was handed to me on a silver platter in the form of an article in the January/February 2004 issue of Cook's Illustrated.

Particular steps became very key to transforming my oven fries from soggy and mushy to crispy perfection.  It may seem, at first, that there are so many frivelous steps taken just to get a good oven fry.  It is so worth it, however.   After a couple of times using this method you will be making them in your sleep and your family members and guests will praise your name and demand more fries.

I'm going to share with you some of the knowledge I gleaned from the article that made my oven fries creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside.

To begin, let's talk about the potatoes.  Russets beat out all the others for fries.  I also elect to peel the potatoes rather than leave part of the peel on.  Skins off they had more of that original french fry taste.

Once the potatoes are peeled I like to slice mine thin, but cutting them into thick wedges is perfectly fine too.  Soak them in ice cold water for about an hour.  After 30 minutes you will notice the water is all cloudy.  This is starch that is being leached out of the potato.  Pour this off, rinse and re-cover with fresh ice cold water and stick the bowl back in the fridge.  Starch prohibits moisture from leaving the potato; and you want some moisture to leave the potato so it can become crispier.

Since we've had the potatoes soaking to remove some of the starch, we now have to make sure we get the potatoes dry.  Forget about tamping the moisture off of them with mamby pamby paper towels.  Grab a good, thick kitchen towel, lay them out in a single layer and pat them dry then let them sit there while you prepare the pan.

 

 I found it interesting that in the CI testing using a heavy baking pan made a big difference. I used to grab an older, light weight jelly roll pan instead of using my better, heavier pans. CI stresses that a heavier pan is best.  A lightweight pan yielded fries that were either pale or burnt; or rather inconsistent. The heavyweight pan produced even browning because it conducts heat better.

In the past even though I tossed the potatoes in a bowl with olive oil my potatoes always stuck to the pan horribly.  Now, I cover the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spread about 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil over the parchment.

 

Sprinkle a light sprinkling of Kosher salt on the surface of the parchment.  CI stated that this aided even more to prevent sticking with the salt particles acting like little ball bearings suspending the potato slice from the pan.  Whatever....I actually rolled my eyes at this statement but thought what the heck, I'll try it.  Turned out to be a great idea.  Worked like a charm.

Arrange the potato slices so they are not touching.  Most likely you will need more than one pan so you do not crowd the potatoes.  Just giving you a heads up.

Slightly steaming the potatoes aided in giving them a creamy interior.  Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place them on the very bottom rack in the preheated oven.

Adjusting the rack to the lowest position made a big improvement for the fries due to the intense heat from the bottom of the oven browning them quickly and evenly.

Potatoes were steamed this way for about 5 minutes then the foil was removed. Bake the potatoes uncovered for approximately 10 minutes then turn the pan around for another 10, or until they are golden and crispy.

So, here's how you can make good crispy oven fries for yourself.  Now, go out and get yourself a subscription to Cook's Illustrated.  It'll do your kitchen good.

Crispy Oven Fries
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated - January/February 2004
Serves 3 to 4


Ingredients:
3 russet potatoes (about 8 ounces each)
2 to 3 Tbsp. vegetable or peanut oil
Kosher salt and black ground pepper

Method:
Peel potatoes.  Slice lengthwise into 1/2" to 3/4" slabs.  Slice each slab lengthwise into thin sticks.  Place potatoes in mixing bowl and cover with cold water.  Place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.  Drain and rinse starchy water off potatoes and cover with fresh cold water.  Place back in refrigerator for another 20 - 30 minutes.

Drain potatoes and lay out on heavy kitchen towel.  Thoroughly pat dry and allow to sit and dry while you prepare the pan(s) and preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.

Line heavy 18 x 12-inch heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil on parchment paper. Sprinkle parchment with light coat of kosher salt.
You will most likely need to prepare two baking sheets so your potatoes are not crowded (that is what the 3rd Tbsp. of oil is for).

Rinse and wipe out the empty mixing bowl; return potatoes to bowl and toss with remaining 1 Tbsp. of oil.  Arrange potatoes in single layer on prepared baking sheet; cover tightly with foil.  With the oven rack placed on the lowest position, bake for 5 minutes.  Remove foil and continue to bake for 15 to 20 minutes more, turning baking sheet after 10 minutes, until potatoes are spotty golden brown.

Transfer potatoes to a second baking sheet lined with paper towels.  Season with additional salt and the pepper to taste.

Roasted Green Beans

There are many uses for canned green beans but they simply can't compete with fresh.  This has proved to be an easy, quick way to serve them up on a week night.  If you're a working girl like me you can wash and trim the beans the night before.  That will save you even more time.

I can't tell from the clipping what magazine I tore this recipe out of, nor the date.  Who would have known when I started clipping recipes, back in the Stone Age, that I would one day really like to know where and when a recipe came from.

This looks pretty wicked doesn't it?  I think a witch might have a finger that looks like this.  The only criticism Lovey had about this recipe was that the tips on the beans turned into weapons when they got crispy. I had to agree with him.   I usually leave the tips on when I steam beans and it's no problem but these were definitely prickly by the time they roasted!  Be sure and snap them off!  Unless you want to injure a family member.

Simply toss the ingredients, spread out on a jelly roll pan, and bake

In 10 minutes they are ready to eat.

Roasted Green Beans
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients:
1-1/4 pounds green or wax beans, trimmed
2 Tbsp. slivered almonds
1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Mise en place:

• wash and trim both ends of the beans.  Allow to dry on a towel then throw them into a mixing bowl
• preheat oven to 450°F.

Method:
Measure all of the remaining ingredients into the bowl with the beans and toss well with your fingers.  When coated, transfer the beans to a jelly roll pan and bake for 10 minutes or until beans are tender and browned, stirring occasionally.

Broccoli in Sherry Sauce

Lovey and I eat a lot of broccoli.  Mostly we just steam it, butter it and eat it with a little squeeze of lemon juice.  Sometimes we like to sauce it up a bit.  This recipe is taken from a cookbook put together by the Fort Bend Junior Service League.  Fort Bend County is located around the Gulf Region of Texas in the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan areas.

 

The first thing I did was toast the almonds.  They'll add a nice crunch to the dish.

The broccoli is simmered in a little broth, drained and placed in a casserole dish.  The sherry sauce is poured on top of that and it's finished off with Parmesan and the toasted almonds.

Bake for about 20 minutes and you get this.

Broccoli in Sherry Sauce
Serves 6
Adapted from 'Treasures From the Bend'

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds fresh broccoli florets
3 cups chicken broth, divided
1/4 cups (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup half-and-half
2 Tbsp. sherry
2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cups (3 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup slivered almonds

Mise en place:

• toast almonds in small skillet on stove top
• wash broccoli and cut into florets
• measure out the chicken broth divided, 3/4 cup and 2-1/2 cup
• squeeze lemon juice and measure into small bowl with sherry
• grate Parmesan cheese

Method:
Preheat oven to 375° F.   Cook broccoli florets in the 2-1/2 cups chicken broth in a saucepan for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender-crisp; drain.  Place broccoli in a lightly greased 2 quart baking dish.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Whisk in the flour.  Cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly.  Whisk in the half-and-half and the 3/4 cup chicken broth gradually.  Bring to a boil and cook until thickened, whisking constantly.  Whisk in the sherry and lemon juice.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the sauce over the broccoli and sprinkle with the cheese and almonds.  Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Roasted Baby Beets

Beets don't usually receive many popularity votes in the vegetable world.  Chef Tyler Brown of the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville could very well change someone's opinion after they taste these baby beets.
I was only able to find golden beets in the baby variety.  The dish would be extra attractive with a combination of the golden and deep purple babies.  But at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter what color these tasty little tidbits are; they're just darn good.

This is all you need for this easy to prepare side dish

After cleaning and trimming the tops and bottoms of the beets place them in a baking dish.  Dot the beets with the butter, pour your liquid mixture over it all, toss the herbs in and cover tightly with foil.

You'll bake these for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.

The beets get a little sauté, then the reserved pan juices are added and will thicken up nicely.

Garnish with a little chopped parsley, chopped roasted hazelnuts & crumbled ricotta salata cheese.  Brilliant.

I nicked a bite of beet directly out of the oven and the broth mixture they cooked in flavored them so nicely.  I could have eaten them straight from the baking dish.

Roasted Baby Beets

Adapted from Southern Living recipe by Chef Tyler Brown - Oct. 2011

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
2 pounds baby beets
4 Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
1 cup vegetable broth - I made from Knorr broth cubes
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
3 fresh thyme sprigs
3 fresh parsley sprigs
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Toppings:  chopped roasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped fresh parsley, crumbled ricotta salata cheese

Mise en place:

• if using for topping, roast hazelnuts in oven and let cool completely, then roughly chop
• remove tops and ends of beets; wash beets
• make vegetable broth
• measure out honey
• measure out vinegar
• wash and dry herbs
• cut up butter
• measure out olive oil into large skillet

Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F.  Place cleaned beets in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish.  dot with butter.  Stir together broth and next 6 ingredients; pour over beets.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil.  Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until tender.  Remove beets, reserving 1/4 cup of the pan juices.  Cool beets for about 15 minutes;  peel and quarter (note:  the baby golden beets did not need peeling).

Cook beets in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly browned.  Pour reserved pan juices over beets; increase heat to medium-high.  Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced to about 1 Tbsp.

Serve with desired toppings.

Ingredient information:  Ricotta salata is made from fresh Ricotta that has been pressed, salted and aged for about 3 months.  It's dryness, saltiness and the way it crumbles reminds me of an Italian version of Feta