Crisp sweet-tart apples make a nice foil to the nutty unctuous cauliflower. This is a dish where you want a fixed-blade slicer like the Ben-Riner, or a food processor with a ¼-inch slicer disc.
INGREDIENTS:
One medium to large-ish head cauliflower, florets sliced ¼-inch thick (save the core for another use) 2-3 firm sweet-tart apples such as Gala, peeled, cores removed sliced 1/8th inch thick 2 medium onions, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced 1 heaping cup grated Gruyere or a sharp cheddar 3 cups béchamel sauce (see recipe) Neutral flavored oil as needed Butter as needed Salt and pepper to taste Optional-1½ cups bread-crumbs, fresh, tossed in just enough oil to moistenMETHOD:
Heat oven to 400°F.
Bring a large volume of water to a boil and immerse the cauliflower slices. Cook 3-5 minutes, or just until they lose their “raw”-ness. Drain and transfer to an ice-bath to arrest the cooking. Drain as soon as cool.
Heat a 10-inch sauté pan over medium-high heart and generously film the pan with oil. When the oil is hot, add a tablespoon of butter and when it stops foaming, add the onions. Toss to coat with the fats and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are tender and turning golden. Scatter with some of the thyme, and continue cooking until the onions are quite soft and a nice golden tobacco color. Remove from the heat.
While the onions cook, butter the inside of a gratin dish large enough to hold the ingredients.
When the onions are done, add them to the bottom of the buttered gratin dish. Add some of the cauliflower, scatter with some of the cheese, then some of the apple slices, and a pinch of the thyme. Continue this, ending with cauliflower. Season the top well with salt and pepper, knowing that when you add the béchamel it will we swept into the rest of the gratin with the béchamel sauce.
Pour the béchamel sauce over the gratin, pushing down on the top to pack it down a little. The liquid should come just to the top layer of cauliflower.
Place on a sheet pan or tray and bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes or so, until the top is golden and a thin knife will easily pierce the gratin. If you wish, scatter the breadcrumbs on top of the gratin in the last 10 minutes or so and maybe mix in a little cheese. Bake until the crumbs are golden.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool a few minutes so it firms up a little before serving.
Chef’s Notes:
If you wish to push this to a one-dish supper, you could add chunks of diced ham to the gratin.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
