Coliflor Gratinada "Spanish Cauliflower Gratin"

Coliflor Gratinada is a Spanish Cauliflower Gratin recipe. This recipe does not seem especially Spanish to me, but my wife loves the dish and used to have it all the time when we lived in Murcia. We asked the people at the restaurant one day about the dish, and they assured us it was a local dish of Murcia.

Whether it is or not, it is a nice dish and easy to make. Now that we moved away from Spain, I have conjured up my own version of coliflor gratinada to satisfy my wife's cravings. This one is easy and it makes a nice side dish, perhaps accompanying a nice Spanish fish recipe. Give this one a try, Spanish or not, I think you will love it!

First, let's prepare the sauce, which is essentially a light bechamel sauce. Slowly melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add all of the flour at once and stir until there are no lumps. Cook the butter and flour slowly over medium heat while stirring for about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Heat the milk over medium heat until it almost boils. Pour the hot milk into the flour and butter mixture and stir rapidly until it all comes together into a smooth sauce. Put the mixture back over medium heat and cook for a couple minutes until it thickens. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Add more milk if necessary to make the consistency thin enough to easily pour out of the pan.

Wash and cut the cauliflower into small florets. Arrange half of the cauliflower on the bottom of a small baking dish. Crumble the egg over this lower layer. Add the anchovies if desired. Sprinkle the parsley over the layer and add a light layer of the cheese. Now add the remaining cauliflower in the top layer. Cover with the remaining cheese and pour the sauce over the entire dish. Add the remaining butter in small chunks over the top of the dish and bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the cauliflower is cooked.

Enjoy!

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