Recipe: Gratin de chou-fleur

This traditional French dish of cauliflower with melted cheese is one to enjoy during the cooler temperatures at this time of year.

Gratin de Chou-Fleur

1 large head cauliflower, about 1.5kg (3lb), trimmed and separated into florets (about 1kg or 2lb when trimmed)
Freshly grated nutmeg
60 grams (2/3 cup) freshly grated comté
25 grams (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
25 grams (3 tbsp) flour
1/3 litre (1 1/3 cup) milk
Fine salt and freshly ground pepper
1 to 2 tbsp breadcrumbs

Sprinkle the cauliflower with coarse salt and steam for 15 minutes, until soft; if you're using a pressure cooker, it will take five minutes starting from the whistle. (The soft cauliflower is part of why I love the dish, but feel free to cook it to your liking.) The cauliflower can be cooked up to a day in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container.

Set an oven rack in the upper half of the oven and preheat to 180°C (350°F). Transfer the cauliflower to a medium-sized gratin dish. (At this point, you can add strips of leftover cooked chicken, if you choose.) Season with a subtle dash of nutmeg, and top with half of the cheese.

Prepare the béchamel. Have the butter, flour and milk measured and ready. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. When the butter starts to sizzle, add the flour all at once and stir it into the butter with a wooden spoon (this is called a roux blanc). Cook for three minutes without colouring, stirring continually until the mixture turns creamy. Pour in the milk and whisk it into the roux blanc, making sure you don't leave any clumps on the bottom and sides of the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook for a few minutes, stirring with the wooden spoon or the whisk as the mixture thickens. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Season the béchamel with salt, pepper and a whisper of nutmeg. Pour evenly over the cauliflower, top with the remaining cheese, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and slip into the oven to bake for 20 minutes, until heated through and well gratinéed at the top; you can switch to the broiler setting for the five final minutes. Let rest for five minutes and serve — you may want to warn your dining companions that the gratin will be very hot.

Any leftovers can be reheated for 10 minutes at 180°C (350°F) the next day.

Serves 4 to 6. (The recipe can be doubled, but you may have to cook the cauliflower in two batches.) Recipe courtesy Clotilde Dusoulier.