A vegetarian, herby mushroom and cauliflower gratin highlighting beautiful seasonal ingredients and hiding a layer of creamy spinach goodness.
Even though cauliflower may be available throughout most of the year, it’s technically a cool weather crop, with its peak season in the winter months.
Though It’s in spring that I’m usually able to find the purple and orange coloured varieties at the market. Which makes this mushroom and cauliflower gratin the ideal dish for spring’s not-so-warm days; filling and satisfying, but not too heavy.
Did you know that coloured cauliflower gets its unique hues naturally?
Purple cauliflower, which can range from pale to deep purple, gets its colour from the same antioxidant that’s found in red cabbage and red wine, anthocyanin. Whereas orange cauliflower was discovered to have a genetic mutation, allowing it to hold extra beta carotene.
Food Waste
Don’t be alarmed if you find brown spots on your cauliflower after bringing it home – no matter what colour you’ve bought. The vegetable oxidises the longer it’s exposed to air and light, in much the same way as an avocado turns brown. And while these brown spots may not look entirely appealing, they’re not harmful to eat. You can even slice off the outer layer to remove them.
As long as the spots haven’t turned black, the florets haven’t turned mushy or there’s a foul smell coming from it, your cauliflower is safe to eat.
What is a Gratin?
Did you know that a breadcrumb-topped mac and cheese is a type of gratin?
au Gratin is a French culinary term for an ingredient cooked in a shallow baking dish (or specific gratin dish), and then topped with breadcrumbs, cheese, or both, and baked or grilled (broiled) until a golden crust is formed.
It’s a method of cooking that lends itself to many different kinds of ingredients, including vegetables, leafy greens, fish and seafood, and most famously, potatoes.
How to Make Mushroom and Cauliflower Gratin
- Roast the veggies. Roast the mushrooms, adding the onion petals halfway through until everything is golden. Top with fresh herbs.
- Make the spinach mixture. Let the onion and wine reduction thaw the spinach before gently stirring in the crème fraiche. The fresh chilli slices add a nice, subtle heat as they’re cooked down with the spinach, but you can leave them out if you don’t want the spice.
- Prepare the cauliflower. Whether you’re using seasonal coloured cauliflower or not, treat it with the same care. Carefully cut out cauliflower steaks, but don’t discard the florets or little crumbs, they help to create a nice, even layer for the cheese to go over. Blanch and refresh under cold water.
- Assemble the layers. Spoon the spinach and crème fraiche mixture over the roasted mushrooms and onion petals and then top with the blanched cauliflower steaks and florets.
- Make it golden. Add the cheese liberally and grill (broil) until a golden-brown crust has formed and everything is sizzling.
Serving and Storing
This Mushroom and Cauliflower Gratin, with its hidden vegetable surprise layer, makes it more of a main meal than a side, like cauliflower cheese, so let it be the star, especially if you’ve gotten your hands on seasonal coloured cauliflower.
It can be stored in the fridge for three days and reheats well, in both the oven and the microwave.
Rachel Khoo’s Mushroom and Cauliflower Gratin
Equipment
Ingredients
- 800 g mushrooms, your favourite kind or a combination
- 3 brown onions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 40 g butter
- 100 ml dry white wine
- 400 g frozen chopped spinach
- 1 red chilli, seeded and finely sliced
- 80 ml crème fraiche or double cream
- 1 to 2 small cauliflowers, purple or yellow if you can find them
- Handful of dill sprigs, finely chopped
- Handful mint leaves, finely chopped
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 100 g grated mature cheddar or Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220ºC.
- Brush clean the mushrooms and slice any larger ones in half. Toss with olive oil and roast for 15 minutes in a large baking dish.800 g mushrooms
- Meanwhile, cut two of the onions into quarters and separate the onion layers into petals. Finely chop the remaining onion and set aside.3 brown onions
- Add the onion petals to the mushrooms and roast for another 15 minutes, or until the mushrooms and onions are golden.
- While the mushrooms and onions are roasting, melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook for 5-6 minutes or until soft. Add the wine and simmer until nearly evaporated. Add the spinach and most of the chilli and stir for 6-7 minutes, or until the spinach has defrosted and most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the crème fraiche and season with salt to taste. Set aside.1 tablespoon olive oil, 40 g butter, 100 ml dry white wine, 400 g frozen chopped spinach, 1 red chilli, 80 ml crème fraiche or double cream
- Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil over high heat. Remove the cauliflower leaves and tough base of the stem, but keeping the stalk intact. Slice the cauliflower from top to bottom into 5 mm-thick ‘steaks’, saving the florets that don’t stay intact. Carefully drop all the cauliflower bits (minus the tiny crumbs) into the boiling water and simmer for 2 minute, then drain into a colander and rinse with cold water.1 to 2 small cauliflowers
- Preheat the grill (broiler) to high. Reserve a few of the herbs for the garnish, then combine the rest with the lemon juice and stir through the mushrooms and onions. Spread the spinach mixture over the top, mixing together gently, and then sprinkle over any cauliflower crumbs. Place the blanched cauliflower over the top, then add the grated cheese. Grill for 5-10 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbly. Sprinkle with the remaining chilli and herbs, then serve immediately.Handful of dill sprigs, Handful mint leaves, ½ lemon, 100 g grated mature cheddar or Parmesan
Notes
Nutrition
Method adapted from Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook Melbourne.
1 Comment
Made this meal this evening for my wife and I. I had to make a few variations to cut it down for the two of us however that made no difference to the meal. It was very tasty and we realy enjoyed it, I think we’ll be having it again many times again in the future.