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). Â
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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.