Let it snow, pass the cauliflower

Last week I was away in Connecticut and came home to some three feet of snow.  Between now and tomorrow night we are expecting another three feet.  Not that I'm complaining, mind you.  Folks north of here (Oswego, etc.) already have some seven feet of snow on the ground are in a state of emergency. 

After being away and then working four 12 hour days--straight--I'm going to be relaxing home watching the snow fall.  I'll catch up on work reading and letter writing--maybe even blogging!  Perhaps I'll even get to cook.  I've got some leftover cauliflower and almonds and am in the mind of making more of this fantastic dish that I prepared for my students on Sunday night.

This is a dish for those of us who think they don't like cauliflower--who think it has no flavor.  Well  this gratin, kicked up with a little Spanish paprika and a slightly sweet and nutty Manchego almond sauce will change the hearts of any naysayers.   On a cold, windy, and snowy day, this is just the vegetarian-comfort food ticket.  Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Cauliflower Gratin with Manchego and Almond Sauce (Food and Wine, Feb 2005)

    * 3/4 cup half-and-half
    * 1/2 cup whole roasted almonds with skin, plus 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped almonds(3 ounces)
    * 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
    * 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    * 1 cup whole milk
    * 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely shredded Manchego or other mildly nutty semi-aged sheep's
        or cow's-milk cheese (3 1/2 ounces), such as Gouda
    * Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
    * Salt and freshly ground pepper
    * One 2-pound head of cauliflower, cut into 1 1/2-inch florets
    * 1 medium onion, finely chopped
    * 1/4 teaspoon Pimentón de la Vera (smoked Spanish paprika)

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a small saucepan, heat the half-and-half until steaming, then transfer it to a food processor or blender. Add the 1/2 cup of whole almonds and process until finely ground. Let stand for 10 minutes. Strain the half-and-half through a fine sieve set over a bowl, pressing on the almonds to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the ground almonds.

In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the flour and whisk over moderately high heat for 1 minute. Add the milk and the half-and-half and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add 3/4 cup of the Manchego and whisk until melted. Whisk in the nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Keep warm while completing the next steps.

In a large skillet, bring 1/2 inch of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower, cover and cook over high heat until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain the cauliflower in a colander. Wipe out the skillet.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook, stirring until lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Transfer the cauliflower to a 7-by-10-inch glass or ceramic baking dish and spread the Manchego sauce on top.

Sprinkle the gratin with the remaining cheese, the 2 tablespoons of chopped almonds and the paprika and bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, or until bubbling and browned on top. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

This dish can be prepared ahead by assembling and keeping refrigerated overnight. Bring it to room temperature before baking.

Comments

[Jeff Borisch]

I have some in the oven right now. I'm using a head of cabbage instead of cauliflower and it seems to be turning out nicely. That's what I had in the fridge.

I'm in Columbus OH and I found your blog blog right when you had been in Columbus by pure coincidence. I've really been enjoying reading it.

Jeffrey

[Jennifer]

Hi Jeff, welcome! Lucky you to be in Columbus--I'm still dreaming of the Omega bread and Jeni's ice cream that I enjoyed there last summer. Do write back and let us know how the dish worked with cabbage!

[Jeff Borisch]

Hi Jennifer, It turned out great. My lovely wife is wary of any opaque white sauce in food and she loved this. I didn't fuss with straining out the ground almonds due to time and wanting to limit the washing up I had to do later. I think next time I will do that as it was a little grainy even for my rustic taste.

For preparing the cabbage, I just chopped it into bite size pieces. I added it directly to the pan with the onions plus a little bit of water as I figured it would need less cooking than the cauliflower.

We are finally starting to thaw out here. Looking forward to the 2007 garden pix.