Cauliflower Gratin With Leeks and White Cheddar
Updated March 27, 2019
Karsten Moran for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
1 small-ish head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), green leaves removed
Olive oil, for drizzling
1 small leek, white and light green part only, very thinly sliced
Kosher salt and black pepper
¾ cup heavy cream
6 ounces sharp white Cheddar, grated (about 1 ½ cups)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
11 grams carbs; 66 milligrams cholesterol; 307 calories; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 25 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 532 milligrams sodium; 12 grams protein; 4 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Slice cauliflower head lengthwise into ½-inch thick slices, including the core and leaves. (Some smaller bits will fall away: That’s fine. You’ll use them as well.)
- Step 2
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.
- Step 3
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.
Private Notes
Comments
Learned a trick about leeks when my kids gave me lessons at a cooking school. Cut an X in the base of the leeks and immerse in a glass or bowl of water. Leave it at least 5 or ten minutes. The water will become surprisingly sandy. Change the water and repeat. After the third time it's usually clear, but if not, do it again. It does take about half an hour, but only about three minutes of activity. Just let it happen in the background.
Can I use something other than heavy cream? Is it advisable to make and freeze all but bread crumb topping? Thanks!
I've cooked this 3 times in the last 3 weeks, so, yes, I love this dish. Made it once with coconut milk since that was what I had & it didn't change the flavor or texture at all. Like many, it took about twice the indicated time before the cauliflower was fork tender. I added a wee bit of ancho chili flakes with the salt & pepper for a little zing, & also squeezed on a bit of lemon when I took it out of the oven. It's very rich & so tasty that I always want to eat more than I ought.
The thinly sliced leeks give this dish a lovely onion flavor. Made a topping with butter and whole wheat panko, but did not add it until the foil came off to prevent sogginess. 30 mins under foil, 20 uncovered & cooked until crispy and browned.
Question. Under ingredients, you instruct to remove outer leaves. In step one, it says go ahead and include them. Which is it?
Flavour was great (leek is key!) but the cream split so the cauliflower was sitting in a sea of oily milk and curds, definitely not a "thick velvety sauce" as promised! To serve I put some canellini beans in the bottom of a bowl, poured the oily milk on top to make them brothy, then the cauli on top of that and it ended up a great meal nonetheless.