This gratin works with all sorts of vegetables, including endive, romanesco, broccoli, Swiss chard, or even just chard stems. It makes a nice and simple lunch when served with a green salad, or it works as a decadent side dish too. The gratin can also be assembled ahead of time, stored in the refrigerator, and popped into the oven just before sitting down to dinner, making it great for entertaining.
[SERVES 6]
Coarse salt
1 large head cauliflower
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg, plus more as needed
4¼ cups whole milk
4 large fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups grated Gruyère cheese
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season aggressively with salt. Meanwhile, remove the green outer leaves from the cauliflower and roughly chop them. Cut the cauliflower into florets. Add the cauliflower and the greens to the boiling water and cook just until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain the cauliflower and the greens, place them in a bowl, and set them aside.
Meanwhile, combine the butter, flour, nutmeg, and 2 teaspoons of salt in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until barely browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually stir in the milk and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the béchamel sauce from the heat.
Pour the sauce over the reserved cauliflower, add the sage, and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and additional nutmeg if you think it needs it; the seasoning will depend on the size of the cauliflower.
Transfer the cauliflower to a large, 10-inch gratin dish or skillet, or to six individual gratin dishes. Top the dish (or dishes) evenly with the grated cheese and bake until bubbling hot and golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Rich and comforting, tartiflette, a sort of rustic gratin of potatoes, onions, bacon, and plenty of dairy (crème fraîche, a generous layer of Reblochon cheese, and a final pour of cream), is not for anyone with a small appetite or an inclination toward moderation. You can prepare the potato mixture up to a few days in advance and then simply dress it with the dairy and send it into the oven just before you sit down to dinner.
[SERVES 4 HEARTILY]
¼ pound sliced bacon, cut crosswise into ½-inch lardons
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
8 leaves fresh sage, roughly chopped
1½ pounds small, waxy yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ cup crème fraîche
Coarse salt
⅓ pound Reblochon cheese (or any soft, washed-rind cheese such as Brie)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Place the bacon into a large, heavy, ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all of the fat has nearly rendered and the bacon is just beginning to crisp, 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the onion to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, another 10 minutes.
Add the sage and potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are quite brown and sticky, almost like a jam, and the potatoes are just cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir the nutmeg and crème fraîche into the potato mixture and season with salt.
At this point you can transfer the potato mixture to a gratin dish or individual ramekins or simply leave them in the skillet.
Blanket the potato mixture with slices of the cheese and evenly pour over the cream. Place the skillet in the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and browned, about 15 minutes.
A wine from the very alpine Savoy region of France works really well with this hearty dish—I especially like to serve it with either a red wine made from mondeuse grapes, which have a real barnyard quality, or a white wine made with jacquère grapes.