26 September, 2011

Cauliflower crumble

Time for another vegetarian recipe!  I really liked this cauliflower dish: 
   -  despite the lengthy description, it is quite easy and requires about 15 minutes of active cooking
   -  it is light, flavourful, and filling
   -  it keeps and reheats nicely, making left-overs ideal for a next-day-lunch.


Original recipe comes from one of my French cookbooks: "Les indispensable plats végétariens" so most of the measurements are in grams - I provided conversions in bracket.

What you need
1 cauliflower, separated in medium sized florets
2 tsp of oil (sunflower, olive or any of your favorite)
25 g of flour (it's a little bit less than 1/4 cup)
350 ml of milk (about 1 1/2 cups)
325 g can of corn, drained
2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
140 g grated Emmental cheese (could be replaced by cheddar, Parmesan, or even mozzarella)

Crumble
55 g flour (a little bit less than 1/2 cup)
25 g butter (a little bit less than 2 tablespoons)
25 g rolled oats
about 25 almonds, crushed (I used a mix of walnuts and hazelnuts instead)


What to do
  • Preheat the oven to 375F
  • Boil cauliflower for 5-7 minutes.  Let cool.  Reserve the water. (I roasted my cauliflower instead of boiling)
  • Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan.  Add flour and keep stirring for one minute.
  • Remove from heat, add milk and 1/2 cup of cauliflower water, mix well. (I replace water by an equal amount of homemade vegetable broth)
  • Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the mix to boil.  Cook for 3-5 minutes, until it thickens and, once again, remove from heat.
  • Add corn, parsley, thyme, and half of the cheese - mix well.  Taste the filling and add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Gently mix in cooked cauliflower florets. 
  • Laden the filling into the cooking dish (I used a square 9x9 one).

  • The topping
  • The easiest way to make the topping is to pulse butter and flour in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  • If you do not want to get your food processor out, you can mix flour and butter with your hands.  
  • Once you achieve the coarse crumb consistency, add oats, remaining cheese and nuts.

  • Spread the topping evenly over the cauliflower mixture
  • Bake crumble for 30-40 minutes.


Tips and Suggestions: 

Like many other recipes, this one could be used as a base for your own creation: use different vegetables and spices to create a taste you like.
For an interesting presentation, bake individual portions in small oven-proof forms. 

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for this yummy recipe! I tried this today and it's wonderful. I roasted my cauliflower as well. What was I supposed to do with the milk?

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    Replies
    1. Hey Ralu! I am happy you liked the crumble. And thanks for noticing my error: milk should be added at the same time as veg. broth to create a rich sauce. For a lighter version you can use less milk and more broth.

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