Sometimes (maybe always, but I don’t think so) when cauliflower is baked awhile, it can begin to take on a kind of brownish tinge. When cauliflower is cooked through and through, it does have a translucence. You can see it in the photo above. IF you can overlook that part, and IF you like cauliflower, you’ll find this dish very satisfying. I think I could just eat a bowl of this and forget the rest of the dinner. I do love vegetables.
And . . . well . . . this cauliflower is decadent. Not only does it have Gruyere and cheddar cheese in it, AND 2 cups of heavy cream, but it also has half a cup of blended whiskey in it. The recipe comes from Mary Ann Vitale, a San Diego chef and restaurateur (do note how that word is spelled – for the longest time, some years ago – I thought people were misspelling the word, I thought it was supposed to be restaurant-eur. But no, the n is missing in the word). Anyway, Mary Ann visited Scotland awhile back – maybe more than once, I’m not sure – and just savored the food. Everything about it. She sought out famous restaurants, probably befriended a few of the chefs/owners, and came home each time knowing she wanted to create her own version of several dishes, but keeping true to the traditional recipe. She recently did a class demonstrating 5 recipes from Scotland that all used Scotch whiskey. When in —-fill in the word — Scotland – – – you use whiskey!
We talked about the whiskey in general, in the class – she loves single malt (once in awhile I’ll have some also, and I learned to appreciate its finely balanced flavors in Scotland many years ago – I still have a bottle of Dalwhinnie single malt – it’s a sweeter single malt with honey notes – I bought on the return trip – that’s got to be 20 years ago). In these recipes I’ll give you in coming days, Mary Ann used Dewar’s. A perfectly acceptable blended Scotch whiskey. This is not the time to pull out your very fine, and very expensive single malt. No, just use the regular stuff.
This is one of those recipes from the class. What’s unique about it is that the thickener used is oatmeal. Yes, oatmeal. Back in the early days, flour wasn’t always available, so they used what their grew, and oatmeal is a very good thickener, and you’ll never know it’s there. It’s not like you’ll suddenly get a taste of your morning cereal here – you only use 2 tablespoons of oatmeal anyway. The cauliflower, cut into florets, is cooked for about 5 minutes in boiling water (undercook them), drained and then placed in a buttered casserole.
Meanwhile you make a cheesy cream sauce with heavy cream, the Gruyere (a French cheese, but so flavorful) and Cheddar (make it Scottish cheddar if you want to be authentic, but any sharp WHITE cheddar will do, even a New York one), then the oatmeal and the whiskey. You add salt, pepper and a bit of nutmeg (freshly grated). The sauce is poured over the top and THEN you sprinkle the top with some toasted walnuts. Different, huh? And it’s baked for 30-45 minutes. When you pour the sauce in, it will be a bit on the loose side – that’s the way it should be – it thickens up as it bakes. And if you want to be able to eat all that luscious sauce, serve the cauliflower in a small bowl or ramekin. With a spoon!
What’s GOOD: Oh my. I thought every single, solitary morsel of this dish was magnificent. But then, I like cauliflower! The cheese, the sauce, and particularly the toasted chopped walnuts on top. Don’t overlook that part – it added a really nice texture to the dish. Unexpected, for sure.
What’s NOT: well, the cream and all that cheese. You can try cutting down on the quantity of cream and cheese – won’t be quite so good – but you’ll get the gist of it.
Files: MasterCook 5+ and MasterCook 14 (click on link to open recipe in MC)
* Exported from MasterCook *
Cauliflower with Cheese & Whiskey
Recipe By: Mary Ann Vitale, Great New Cooking Class, 3/2015
Serving Size: 6-8
2 medium cauliflower
2 cups heavy cream
4 ounces Gruyere cheese — grated
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese — extra-sharp if possible
4 ounces Scotch — (use a blended whiskey)
1 pinch fresh nutmeg — grated (about 3-4 swipes across a mini-grater)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons rolled oats — [I might add another 1/2 T)
4 tablespoons walnuts — lightly toasted, chopped
1. Cut cauliflower into florets and cook in boiling, salted water for about 5 minutes (under-done). Drain and place in a buttered casserole dish.
2. Preheat oven to 350°.
3. Heat cream in a big skillet, add the cheeses and stir to combine. When cheeses are melted, remove from the heat, stir in whiskey and oatmeal. Season with salt and pepper and add the freshly grated nutmeg. This mixture will be thinner than you might think – it will thicken some as it bakes.
4. Pour the cheese mixture over the cauliflower and sprinkle top with chopped walnuts. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. (Cauliflower will have a beige color to it – it doesn’t affect the taste.) The sauce may be too thin for your taste – if so, add a little bit more oatmeal. (In the class we thought there was probably too much sauce altogether – maybe it could be reduced by half?)
Per Serving: 518 Calories; 45g Fat (83.3% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 149mg Cholesterol; 221mg Sodium.
Melynda@OurSundayCafe
said on April 9th, 2015:
Cannot wait to try this! thank you.
You’re so welcome. I can’t take credit for the recipe, though. Just know it’s rich . . . carolyn t
janet
said on April 9th, 2015:
The Whiskey class was a wonderful class. I loved everything – but the oatmeal thickened cauliflower. Cauliflower is like brussels sprouts. I keep trying them thinking some day I will find that I like it. I did find fantastic brussels sprouts at Jeremy’s on the Hill in Julian. The recipe is on his website. He cooks the brussels sprouts and then marinates them in ponzu sauce. Still looking for a cauliflower dish to like.
I really enjoyed her salmon dish in pappillote. I used to make it that way a billion years ago when my girls were young. That was the only way they would eat salmon. But the tarragon, whiskey, and butter took it to another level.
thanks for continuing to post your recipes and experiences.
Thanks, Janet. I keep wondering if one day I’m going to wake up and say “I don’t want to do my blog anymore, but so far that hasn’t happened. . . carolyn t