Sunday, August 11, 2013.
Broccoli And Cauliflower Au Gratin. With Maui Sauce.
I'm afraid that if I ever put my foot down around my house, I'll step on a rusty nail. Mary Ann decreed that we would not be dining in a restaurant today, but that we'd cook at home. I'm always ready for that. But I heard the word after the Marys were back from their grocery run. They had chicken breasts (boneless skinless tasteless). Okay, I thought, as I cut the grass. We can make that fantastic dish, chicken Pontalba.
I was figuring for a much later dinner than the Marys were, however. And when I got back inside I saw the chicken already grilling its way to woodiness (in texture, not flavor). It was slathered with Maui Sauce. Maui sauce is a staple at Bear's Po-Boys, although I can't remember exactly how they use it. Mary Ann loves it, so much that the owner gave her a gallon jug of the stuff. A dog's lifetime supply, by my calculations.
Our meals will be in the thrall of Maui sauce for a long time. Mary Ann likes--gets a thrill from--using foods already in hand, regardless of its age or goodness. So much for chicken Pontalba today.
I was asked to make a gratin out of the broccoli and cauliflower. I was glad of this, because ever since a dinner some months ago at Annadele Plantation, broccoli and cauliflower au gratin has been on my mind. Theirs is unusually good. Neither too rich nor too cheesy. The overload of cheese is the greatest offense in the name of this dish, but so too is the lack of bechamel as a matrix.
I made too much bechamel for the amount of vegetables. But the Marys, who are accustomed to a few pounds of melted cheddar holding dishes like this together, said they liked it. I thought the richness was over the top, but if it works for the Marys. . . well, I guess that's one nail I missed stepping on.
The recipe involves one head of cauliflower and two of broccoli. I cut out all the really dense stems and steam the vegetables until they're no longer crunchy. Then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
The bechamel is 6 Tbs. of butter, 5 Tbs. flour. Pretend you're making a roux, but stop before the mixture starts to brown. Add 1 1/4 cups of warm milk and an pinch of nutmeg. (We now have bechamel.) Whisk until it gets fluffy. Then 1 cup of grated Romano cheese (or mozzarella, for a less tangy flavor), stirred in.
Cut up the broccoli and cauliflower and deposit it into a baking dish. Add the bechamel until there's enough to coat the vegetables, but not fill all the spaces in between. Top with Italian bread crumbs (crumbs, parmesan, dried parsley, dried basil, dried oregano, and fresh chopped garlic, all to taste). Bake the whole thing until the top browns and the sides are bubbling a little. Ta-da!
