WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS To create a rich and flavorful but not heavy cauliflower gratin, we relied on cauliflower’s natural ability to become an ultracreamy puree, using it as the sauce to bind the florets together. For a streamlined cooking setup, we placed the cores and stems in water in the bottom of a Dutch oven and set a steamer basket with florets right on top. Butter and Parmesan gave the sauce a rich flavor and texture, and a few pantry spices lent some complexity. Topping the gratin with Parmesan and panko gave it savory crunch, and minced chives added color. When buying cauliflower for this recipe, look for heads without many leaves. If your cauliflower does have a lot of leaves, buy slightly larger heads—about 2¼ pounds each. This recipe can be halved to serve four to six; cook the cauliflower in a large saucepan and bake the gratin in an 8-inch square baking dish.

Serves 8 to 10

Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)
• 2 heads cauliflower (2 pounds each), cut into 1½-inch florets, stems halved lengthwise then sliced thin crosswise, cores sliced thin (12 cups florets and 3 cups stems and cores)
• Salt and pepper
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add panko and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl and let cool. Once cool, add ½ cup Parmesan and toss to combine; set aside.
2. Combine sliced cauliflower stems and cores, 2 cups florets, 3 cups water, and remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven and bring to boil over high heat. Place remaining florets in steamer basket. Once mixture is boiling, place steamer basket in pot, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Steam florets in basket until translucent and paring knife slips easily in and out of stem ends, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove steamer basket and set aside florets to drain. Re-cover pot, reduce heat to low, and continue to cook stem mixture until very soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer drained florets to a 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
3. Transfer stem mixture and cooking liquid to blender and add 2 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, dry mustard, nutmeg, cayenne, and remaining ½ cup Parmesan. Process until smooth and velvety, about 1 minute (puree should be pourable; adjust consistency with additional water as needed). Combine cornstarch and 1 teaspoon water in small bowl, whisking with fork to dissolve; then, with blender running, add cornstarch slurry to blender. Season cauliflower puree with salt and pepper to taste. Pour puree over cauliflower florets in dish and toss gently to coat (it will be quite loose), then smooth top with spatula.
4. Scatter panko mixture evenly over top. Transfer dish to oven and bake until sauce bubbles around edges, 13 to 15 minutes. Let stand for 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with chives and serve.