Name: Cauliflower & Leek Gratin
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 heads Cauliflower, sliced into steaks; 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter; 2-3 Leeks, halved-sliced, and washed; 2 cloves Garlic, sliced; 4 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour; 1 1/2 cup Heavy Cream; 1 1/2 cup Chicken Stock; 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt or White Truffle Salt; 1/2 teaspoon White Pepper; 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg; 1 cup Gruyere Cheese, shredded; 1/4 cup Parmesan, shredded

Jump to Recipe

When you are looking for THAT side dish to make a meal just a little extra special, make this Cauliflower and Leek Gratin! Splurge on the truffle salt, it fills your house with the most intoxicating aroma as the cauliflower cooks and makes this an extra decadent side. Spice up this "regular" vegetable and make it craveable.

cauliflower and leek gratin served with a piece of roast chicken.

Making the Gratin

What you need:

This Cauliflower and Leek Gratin recipe really couldn't be any simpler. Start by removing all the green parts from the bottom of the heads of the cauliflower. Slice off the bottom just to make it even with the bottom of the florets, then slice each head of cauliflower into steaks, about 1-1 ½ inch thick. Layer the steaks in a baking dish, season with olive oil and truffle salt (or regular salt, but truffle makes it so yummy), and roast until browned.

raw cauliflower seasoned with olive oil and truffle salt.

While the cauliflower roasts make the cheese sauce that will turn this into a gratin. Cook the leeks and garlic in butter, then add some flour to make a roux. Add some chicken stock, cream, seasoning, and the gruyere to form the sauce.

cream, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg added to cream sauce.

Pour the sauce over the roasted cauliflower and top with a little reserved gruyere cheese. Roast for 30-40 minutes longer, until the cauliflower is tender and the cheese has browned on top.

cauliflower with gruyere cheese sauce on top.

cauliflower and leek gratin fresh from the oven.

Make it a meal!

Serve this alongside a whole roast chicken like my Spatchcock Chicken, or my Perfect Grilled Chicken. And be sure to grab a loaf of crust bread to sop up all the delicious sauce from the gratin with. I even think it would make a great meatless Monday or vegetarian dinner dish by serving a cauliflower steak on top of some pasta with a generous drizzle of the sauce over it!

As I ate this I imagined that it would make a decadent vegetarian meal by simply serving a cauliflower steak and the excess sauce over a bowl of fresh pasta. The sauce has some much good flavor and a nice bowl of pasta would soak it all up beautifully! Another try for another day, but let me know if you give it a go and how it turns out.

📖 Recipe

Cauliflower & Leek Gratin

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

As I have grown older, cauliflower is one vegetable that I have actually grown to LOVE. From simply frying it in some olive oil and seasoned with just salt, to this gratin, it is so versatile and delicious. This also makes a decadent Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish, I especially love it paired with a beef roast.

Ingredients

2 heads Cauliflower, sliced into steaks
4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
2-3 Leeks, halved-sliced, and washed
2 cloves Garlic, sliced
4 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
1 ½ cup Heavy Cream
1 ½ cup Chicken Stock
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt or White Truffle Salt
½ teaspoon White Pepper
¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
1 cup Gruyere Cheese, shredded
¼ cup Parmesan, shredded

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
Slice the cauliflower and arrange the steaks in a 9x13 baking pan. Drizzle some olive oil over the steaks and season them with some truffle salt and black pepper. Roast the steaks in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until they begin to brown slightly.
While the cauliflower is roasting, in a medium saucepan heated over medium heat, melt the butter and cook the leeks until soft, about 10 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook 30-45 seconds more. Whisk in the flour to form a roux, cook for about 1 minute. Whisk the cream, stock, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until thick. Stir in the gruyere and parm, reserving a handful of gruyere for the top.
Remove the roasted cauliflower from the oven and pour the sauce over top. Finish with the reserved gruyere and return the pan to the oven for 10-15 minus longer. When the gratin is bubbling and has browned slightly on top, it is done. Remove it from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. Top with a sprinkle of truffle salt and enjoy.

Notes

Add a few extra splashed of chicken stock to the sauce if it seems a little thick, it should be thick yet pourable to go over the cauliflower.

Also, truffle salt makes it more decadent but is not completely necessary.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 434Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 616mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 17g

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