Greetings, friends! I am coming to you, today, from the other side (the good side) of a weeklong flu-fest that completely took over my household for the last 6 days. Sheesh. That means today is the first day in basically a week that food has actually seemed appealing to me – writing about it, sharing it, thinking about it, etc. It’s a good thing too, I’ll tell you, as I’ve got a long list of really great recipes to prepare and share with you over the course of the next couple of weeks, so I really needed that whole influenza thing to just pack up and go, you know? And since it seems to have done just that, I can now F I N A L L Y share a really great veggie side dish with you that I’ve made a couple of times recently to rave reviews: this Golden Cauliflower Gratin with Hazelnuts.
What is a Gratin?
Sometimes referred to as gratinée or au gratin, gratins are simply French-inspired (the technique is French, that is) dishes of baked sundries, covered in some sort of crispy topping, such as breadcrumbs or cheese, and lightly browned in the oven.
The baking of a gratin typically always involves a shallow dish or pan, to allow for maximum spreading and hence, browning, and the crispiness on top is almost always achieved from the help of ample cheese and/or the aforementioned breadcrumbs. The term “gratin” itself is lovably flexible and, while it is probably most often associated with potatoes au gratin, it could technically even be applied to baked mac and cheese, just so long as there are crunchy breadcrumbs on top.
Today, I’m taking some license with that part, and swapping in a handful of toasty, crunchy hazelnuts for the coating of breadcrumbs, because I just love them so. Plus, in addition to using olive oil for the roux instead of butter, it’s a small swap that lightens the whole thing just a smidge.
This recipe is a nice addition to your arsenal of heavy-hitting vegetable side dishes. It truly complements almost anything and comes together easily, all in one pan (we love that!). I mean, you could create the sauce in a separate pan, but there’s really no need. One pan works fine (a My Kitchen Little victory).
The golden glow of the turmeric is an unexpected addition in a gratin, and I personally can’t get enough of that toasted hazelnut crunch on top; the perfect finishing touch. Save for burning it, this baked cauliflower gratin is a dish that is almost impossible to mess up, and even if you play around with the various amounts and components, you’ll still more than likely end up with one very satisfying, delectable gratin.
Golden Cauliflower Gratin with Hazelnuts
The earthy turmeric gives this gratin a distinctive golden glow, and the hazelnuts offer a fantastic crunch – a great textural contrast to all that creaminess. I like to sneak a little sour cream into this gratin as well. The flavor and creaminess that just a little bit adds is fantastic here. This is a quick bake time, compared to many gratins, because everything is cooked before the pan even goes into the oven.
Ingredients
- 4 TBSP olive oil, divided plus more as needed
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 1 large head cauliflower cut into bite-sized florets about 3 cups
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1.5 to 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2.5 cups freshly shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese plus extra for topping
- 1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Place a large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat and add 2 Tbsp of the olive oil. When it’s hot, add the onion and cauliflower and season enthusiastically with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the veggies are tender; about 8 to 10 minutes.
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Add 2 more Tbsp of oil to the pan and sprinkle in the flour. Stir to combine and to cook the flour a bit; for about a minute. Add the milk, stirring/whisking constantly as you do, and allow the mixture to gently bubble. Please feel free to add more milk if it looks/feels dry. You want the mixture to be thick and creamy – think Mac and cheese. Reduce the heat after it bubbles for you (it should thicken significantly).
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Add the sour cream, nutmeg, turmeric, and cheese. Stir very well to combine everything. Taste for seasoning and add more salt/pepper, as needed.
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Top the skillet with a little more cheese and place in the oven. Bake the gratin until hot and bubbly, and the cauliflower is lightly golden on top about 15 minutes.
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Serve the gratin with some chopped hazelnuts sprinkled over top.
