Bon appetit- Choufleur is on my menu. Now who says we Boat People are so obsessed we forget the little details of gracious living?
Choufleur au gratin
Cauliflower baked in a cheese sauce.
Pronounced: shoo fluhr / oh / grah teh(n)
INGREDIENTS:
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
3 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups milk
1 bay leaf
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1-1/2 cups grated Gruyí¨re cheese
freshly grated nutmeg
salt & freshly ground pepper
PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a gratin or shallow baking dish.
1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and add the cauliflower florets. Cook for about 8 minutes or until just tender. Drain and allow the cauliflower to dry as thoroughly as possible.
2. Melt the butter in a small sauce. Add the flour and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden.
3. Stirring vigorously, pour in the half of the milk and continue stirring until smooth. Stirin the remaining milk.
4. Add the bay leaf, nutmeg, salt and pepper to the milk. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring once in awhile.
5. Discard bay leaf. Remove pan from the stove and stir in the mustard and half of the cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted.
6. Arrange the florets in the dish and pour over the cheese sauce. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, until bubbly and browned.
To serve:
Serve hot directly from the gratin dish.
