Cauliflower is making a big comeback in my kitchen. The first frosts come and with them comes the desire for warm, eclectic and comforting dishes. This Cauliflower Sauce with Bacon Fits directly into this category: Vegetables, yes, but with a lot of gluttony!
Cauliflower has a very long growing season, and although it is not always the same varieties that we are taken for granted, we can eventually eat cauliflower for most of the year. Personally, I prefer cauliflower in cooler climates, although there are some good cauliflower recipes with a Mediterranean flavor that will make you want to eat cauliflower in the summer (like with Roasted Cauliflower Za’atar).
Cauliflower is really humble and the more time passes, the more I discover these countless faces! Have you ever tried cauliflower pizza for example? Or vegetarian cauliflower curry? In writing these lines, I wanted to tell you about a recipe for Salmon Lasagna Made from Cauliflower Béchamel… before realizing I had never posted this! So I added it to my shelves and it should be posted during the month… (I assure you, this isn’t the only recipe that awaits you patiently!)
How to make Delicious Cauliflower Chutney?
I already suggested a recipe for cauliflower sauce with salmon at the beginning of the blog. The recipe is still valid but let’s say it’s too “fuzzy” because I had few measuring tools with me at the time! It’s delicious so I prefer to skip it… but in the meantime, I present you this recipe for Cauliflower Sauce With Bacon, with more precise proportions, but still equally delicious !!!
cook cauliflower
Ever since I made my very own creamy cauliflower soup, I got used to cooking my cauliflower in milk. This gives it a special aroma and gives it a slight sweetness and creaminess. However, you will need to do a little cooking check to prevent the milk from oozing out! For grated, I have lightly undercooked the cauliflower so that it doesn’t become mush when it turns brown. So I keep it relatively firm, and it will finish cooking in the oven… and I let it dry out while I cook the bacon and prepare the béchamel. This prevents the “juice” from diluting the béchamel too much (you can even lay it on absorbent paper).
Béchamel Parmesan Binding!
No good gratin without Béchamel sauce… but I always have a little trouble with thick, heavy, floury Béchamel… so I often make quite a liquid Béchamel, very tasty: my Béchamel with Parmesan! I like this Parmesan version to taste so much better than gratins and lasagna!
Little peculiarity in my cauliflower sauce, I reused the cooking milk from the cauliflower to make this Béchamel, so it has a little extra cauliflower flavor… so the sauce has a nice cauliflower flavor! And finally, I add a little grated nutmeg! Its taste gives a little relief to the whole dish, you can enjoy it too!
a free well or nothing
The last important step of the gratin: the perfect layer of grated cheese to make it crisp. I wouldn’t say this casserole is the best part of the dish, but it’s still pretty commendable! I like to vary things up to bring out a lot of flavor. Here, it’s a blend of Comte, aged Gruyre, and grated Parmesan. Brings out the complete toasted notes, fondant .. a real delight with each bite.
Personally, I eat this sauce as a single dish with a small green salad. For a “land-sea” effect with bacon, you can also serve it with roast beef or fish.
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