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I saw something on Facebook about parents bringing their kids to the library to help them reach their 1,000 books before Kindergarten. My daughter has probably met the 1,000 books between what I have bought and my mom’s library. To save some money and expose my daughter to some new concepts, I brought her to the local library. While I was there, I discovered the cookbook section of the library filled with amazing titles including the legendary Julia Child Cookbook.

There is so much good information in this cookbook that I have to share one of my favorites from the Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking Cookbook, the Cauliflower Au Gratin (or in French, ‘Chou-Fleur a la Mornaym Gratine’). Get the Cookbook here on Amazon.

Julia Child Cookbook

The Julia Child Cookbook is filled with so many good tips for choosing the proper utensils including a heavy bottom saucepan to make the best bechamel sauce. Thin pots apparently do not cook evenly and can end up burning the delicate bechamel sauce. Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking also has amazing famous recipes that you probably already know and love like Julia Child’s Coq Au Vin, Quiche Lorraine, and French Onion Soup. Get the Cookbook here on Amazon.

Cauliflower Au Gratin Ingredients

1 Head of Cauliflower, cut into florets
A large Pot containing 7 to 8 quarts of water
1 Cup of Whole Milk
1 1/2 Tsp of Salt per Quart of Water

Sauce Mornay

Heavy Bottom Sauce Pan
2 Tbsp Salted Butter
3 Tbsp Unbleached Flour
A wooden spoon
2 Cups of Whole Milk
Whisk
Salt & Pepper
1/4 Cup Freshly Grated Swiss Cheese
1/4 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Pinch of Nutmeg
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

Cauliflower Au Gratin

8 inch lightly buttered baking dish – 2 inches Deep – this Pyrex is a great choice
2 Tbsp Plain breadcrumbs
Finely Grated Swiss Cheese (2 Tbsp)
Melted Salted Butter (2 Tbsp)

What is Mornay Sauce?

Mornay Sauce is the cheesy bechamel sauce that is ideal for making cauliflower au gratin and even mac & cheese. Bechamel sauce is a white sauce that is the base for a lot of Julia Child’s French cooking.

How to Make Bechamel Sauce?

Start with a heavy bottom saucepan heated to low heat.

Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in the saucepan.

Then, add the 3 tablespoons of unbleached flour mixing the butter and flour together with a wooden spoon.

Let the butter and flour cook for one minute while you keep it moving so that it does not stick or burn.

Add the 2 cups of whole milk into the pot in one pour.

Then, turn up the heat to medium-high.

Whisk constantly keeping the sauce moving and making sure nothing sticks and burns at the bottom of the pot.

Bring the bechamel sauce to a boil and let boil for 1 minute.

Then, take the sauce off the heat.

Now, you have a basic bechamel sauce to act as a base for your Mornay Sauce.

Mornay Sauce Recipe

To make the mornay sauce, you will start with the bechamel sauce you made above.

Add in 1/4 cup of freshly grated swiss cheese and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Mix the cheese in until it is melted completely.

Mix in a pinch of nutmeg and pinch of cayenne pepper spices.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Set aside the mornay cheese sauce while you blanch the cauliflower.

How to Blanch Cauliflower?

Cut a head of cauliflower into florets.

Boil a pot of salted water with 1 cup of milk.

Then, add the cauliflower florets to the pot of boiling water.

Boil for 9 minutes and strain. Cauliflower should be able to pierce with a fork easily.

Then, in a large bowl add cold water with ice cubes to blanch the cauliflower. Blanching stops the cooking process.

Once the cauliflower is cold to the touch (5 to 10 minutes), you can strain it again and set aside.

Cauliflower Au Gratin Recipe

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees F.

To make the cauliflower au gratin, layer 1/3 of the mornay cheese sauce in an 8-inch pyrex dish about 2 inches deep.

Add the blanched cauliflower florets on top of the mornay sauce.

Add the remainder of the mornay cheese sauce on top of the cauliflower.

Mix together 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons of finely grated Swiss Cheese. Add on top of the cauliflower as evenly as possible.

Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave (~ 30 seconds) or by placing it on top of the oven while it preheats.

Drizzle the melted butter on top of the cauliflower.

Add the cauliflower with white sauce to the oven on a high rack to warm the cauliflower and brown the top of the cauliflower au gratin.

When the top is browned, served immediately.