Roasted Cauliflower Gratin

Your average cauliflower gratin is a steamed cauliflower doused in a cheese sauce. And not that it is bad, as cheese is always yummy, but I find the vegetable really lacking in flavor and completely hidden by the cheese. So to really let the cauliflower flavor stand out, I roasted it with some great spices to give it lots of flavor and paired it with a complimentary cheese. This dish was such a hit it was the only dish to be completely gone and I had to make a whole new batch for our company the next night. Which also flew off the plate! So, tried and true now, I highly recommend this dish!


Roasted Cauliflower Gratin

Ingredients:
2 large heads cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp coarse sea salt
3 tsp cumin seeds
3 tsp coriander
1 tsp dried chili flakes
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. dry mustard
2 c. milk
4 c. freshly grated fontina cheese
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 Tbsp breadcrumbs, optional

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.
-In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, olive oil, salt, cumin seeds, coriander, chili flakes and toss to combine.
-Place on baking sheet and roast until desired degree of tenderness (about 10 minutes for crisp tender, 20 for very tender).
-Remove from oven and place cauliflower in gratin pan.
-Meanwhile, in medium sauce pan over medium low heat, melt butter and whisk in flour to create roux.
-Whisk constantly until starting to lightly brown, about 2 minutes, and slowly add milk, while whisking to create a thick beschamel.
-Once completely combined, add cheese and stir to combine until smooth, adding more milk if necessary, but should be relatively thick.
-Pour cheese mixture over top of cauliflower, sprinkle breadcrumbs on top if using, and place in oven on middle rack.
-Turn broiler on low and cook until cheese sauce bubbles slightly.
-Remove from oven and serve immediately.