To me, pouring a cheese sauce over fresh vegetables makes as much sense as putting Cheese Wiz on Filet Mignon. However, sometimes cauliflower wants a little company, and the addition of a cheddar cream sauce and crispy proscuitto is just the perfect compliment to an already beautiful vegetable.
And with summer fast approaching, I’m getting the most out of my oven before it’s too hot to even consider turning it on. This is a great recipe to wind down the “comfort food” season with.
Cauliflower Gratin
1 head of cauliflower cut into oversize florets (I couldn’t believe my luck at finding organic orange cauliflower for the same price as white.)
2 slices of prosciutto, diced
2 cups of hot milk
3 cups of shredded cheddar
1 cup of grated parmesan
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons of flour
2 teaspoons of olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Blanch the cauliflower in boiling water for 4 minutes, drain and place into an ice bath to keep it from continuing to cook. Let the cauliflower drain in a colander while making the sauce.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the flour and stir for one minute. Add the hot milk and stir with a whisk to break up any pieces of flour. Add the cheddar by the handful while constantly stirring the sauce until all of the cheese is incorporated. Remove from heat.
Sauté the prosciutto and olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Stir constantly until it becomes crispy, but don’t take your eyes off of it because it will burn in a nanosecond if it’s left unattended.
Add the prosciutto to the cheese sauce and pour over the cauliflower in an oven proof dish.
Cook for 20 minutes or until the cheese is brown.
What recipes are you going to make while you can still turn the oven on?
