Cauliflower Gratin

Servings: 8  

I happen to love cauliflower, so it can be prepared anyway and I'll think it's great.  I wanted a dish that even people who weren't crazy about cauliflower would love and I think that this is the one.  My guess is it's the poblano cream sauce that does the trick.  It's also a great dish to bring to a potluck dinner since you can make it ahead and it only takes about 20 minutes to finish in the oven.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 large (8 ounces) fresh poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeds discarded
  • 3 pounds cauliflower cut into bite-size florets
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup diced shallots
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup grated Mexican queso anejo or other garnishing cheese such as Romano or Parmesan
  • Salt
  • Topping
  • 1/2 cup panko
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons grated Mexican queso anejo for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven 400 degrees. Lightly oil an 11 x 7 casserole dish.

Puree the roasted poblano in a food processor until smooth.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Scoop in the cauliflower florets and blanch for 4 to 5 minutes until just tender. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Spread onto towels and let the florets dry completely. Once dry, transfer them to a large bowl.

In a 4 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter had melted, add the shallots and cook for several minutes or until the shallots have softened. Stir in the flour and continue stirring for 2 minutes to make sure that the flour has cooked. Whisk in the heavy cream slowly so you don't get lumps in your sauce. Then stir in the queso anejo and the poblano puree. Bring the mixture back to a boil and continue stirring until the sauce has thickened. Remove it from the heat, season with 1 teaspoon salt and pour over the cooked cauliflower. Using a rubber spatula, gently toss the cauliflower to coat. Scrape the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.

In a separate bowl, mix together the panko crumbs, almonds and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the top of the cauliflower and place into the preheated oven on the center rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the top has browned. Remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle the remaining 3 tablespoons queso anejo over the top.