Recipe: Cauliflower and Parsnip Gratin

This recipe is a fusion of knowledge and flavors from several southern casserole recipes that have been favorites in my family throughout my life with some classical French ingredients and technique. One of the things I've concentrated on over the past several years of cooking is technique - and that has led to great improvements in many of my recipes. This recipe is admittedly quite rich and is best served in as a side dish. As you can see, I served it recently with a grilled New York strip steak seasoned simply with salt and pepper.

Cauliflower and Parsnip Gratin

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower, florets separated

3 large parsnips, peeled and cut into 3/4" chunks

1 1/2 cup of milk

2/3 cup of heavy cream

1/2 cup of dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or similar)

1 cup of grated gruyere cheese

2/3 cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese

4 tbsp of unsalted butter

2 large shallots, minced

6 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsp Wondra flour (or well sifted all-purpose flour)

2 tsp white sugar

1 tsp of fresh lemon zest

1 tsp celery salt

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp ground sage

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp ground white pepper

1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

2 sleeves of Ritz crackers (or other butter crackers), crumbled (approx. 3 cups)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9" x 13" casserole dish with cooking spray.

Fill a large pot 2/3 of the way with water and heat until boiling. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium. Add chopped parsnips. Simmer parsnips for 5 - 7 minutes. Add cauliflower and continue simmering for 4 - 5 minutes. Drain the vegetables in a colander and set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once the butter is fully melted, add the shallots. Cook the shallots until they begin to brown and are softened, stirring frequently (approximately 5 minutes). Stir in the garlic. Using a whisk, add the Wondra flour and mix into the butter, onion, garlic mixture until fully absorbed. Add 1/2 cup of the milk and the white wine. Whisk until any flour lumps disappear. Continue to whisk constantly for approximately 3 - 4 minutes. Add remaining milk and all of the heavy cream. Raise heat to medium high. Continue whisking fairly frequently until the mixture begins to bubble and simmer. Reduce heat to low and add all shredded cheeses, the sugar, lemon zest, and all dry spices. Continue to whisk until the mixture becomes smooth and all the cheese is melted and incorporated (approximately 6 minutes).

Cover the bottom of the casserole dish with 1/2 of the crumbled Ritz crackers. Put vegetables into the casserole dish and spread out into an even layer. Pour cheese sauce over all of the vegetables, coating evenly. Use the back of a spatula to smooth out the mixture as much as possible. Spread the remaining crumbled Ritz crackers all over the top. Place into the oven and bake for 35 minutes until the top crust has browned and the casserole is very bubbly. Take out of the oven and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 16 - 20 servings as a side dish.

Prep Class: The Familiar - Gratin Dauphinois

Most of you are probably familiar with what we American's call "scalloped potatoes." The French name is "gratin dauphinois" and the origins of this dish can be traced back to French peasants in the 17th century. Original versions of the dish did not include cheese at all - as cheese was very expensive in the early part of the 17th century. As the dish evolved, the heavy cream sauce at the core of the dish evolved to include rich cheeses such as gruyere. In America, the same dish evolved further to use pasta instead of potatoes to become everyone's favorite "macaroni and cheese." And there can be some major, heated debates even within families - especially southern ones - about the right and wrong way to do this dish. Thomas Jefferson was one of the first major proponents of this dish in America - serving it at official functions as early as 1802. However, many other types of vegetable and meat fillings can be used at the core of a gratin. This is where I will focus in the first couple of recipes I share leading up to sharing my amazingly decadent "grown-up mac 'n cheese."

Recipe: Shrimp and Crab Gratin

This dish is just absolutely decadent... I made it last night for friends of mine who were over for some wine and chit-chat. Everyone loved all the dishes I made, but this one was their favorite...

Ingredients

1 lb. of large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb. of lump crab meat (dungeness crab is the best! :))
3 cups of diced white potatoes
3 cups of diced parsnips
2/3 cup of fresh parsley, loosely chopped
1/4 cup of fresh chives, chopped
2 1/2 cups of Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups of Parmesan cheese, shredded
2/3 cups of bread crumbs
2 cups of heavy cream
1 stick of unsalted butter
3 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of black pepper
3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray to coat. Put the potatoes and parsnips in a layer on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the parsley and chives over the vegetables. Place the shrimp and crab meat over the vegetables in an even layer.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter into the heavy cream. Add the salt and pepper. Add the Gruyere cheese to the cream mixture and whisk until the cheese fully melts. Whisk in the all-purpose flour. Remove the mixture from the heat and pour it all over the other ingredients in the casserole dish. Sprinkle the bread crumbs in an even layer over the top. Place the casserole in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly over the casserole and return to the oven. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the Parmesan layer on top is nice and browned. Remove from the oven and let set for a couple of minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.