Cauliflower and Cheddar Gratin

Huile d'olive de Provence – olives maturées PDO
Mature flavour
Gratin de chou-fleur au cheddar
Photo credit: Céline de Cérou
Have you ever thought of making a béchamel sauce by replacing the butter with olive oil? Here’s our recipe for this cheddar béchamel, which goes perfectly with this cauliflower gratin – a classic family meal.
A PDO
Preparation
20 min
A PDO
Cooking time
40 min
Niveau de coût 1 sur 4 Niveau de coût 2 sur 4 Niveau de coût 3 sur 4 Niveau de coût 4 sur 4
Niveau de coût 1 sur 4 Niveau de coût 2 sur 4 Niveau de coût 3 sur 4 Niveau de coût 4 sur 4
Main course Vegetarian

Ingredients

A PDO
For 6 personnes
  • 1 cauliflower
  • 75 cl milk
  • 150 g cheddar
  • 50 g Provençal olive oil – ripened olives PDO
  • 75 g of flour
  • Thyme (salt, pepper)
  • Chorizo and black olives (optional)

Tip

For this cauliflower and Cheddar gratin, we recommend a Provençal olive oil – PDO matured olives (matured flavour) – for its aromas of black olives, candied fruit, woodland and/or toasted bread.You could just as easily choose another oil from the same flavour profile, such as the PDO olive oil from Aix-en-Provence – made from matured olives, the PDO olive oil from the Vallée des Baux-de-Provence – ripened olives, or the French olive oils made from ripened olives/traditional flavour.

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  • Cut the cauliflower into small florets, wash them, then cook them for 10 minutes in a saucepan of boiling water.

  • Meanwhile, heat the Provence olive oil – made from sun-ripened olives – in a saucepan, add the flour, stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes over the heat, then gradually pour in the milk (to prevent lumps from forming). Simmer, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens.

  • Stir in the cheddar and thyme leaves, then season with salt and pepper.

  • If you like, you can add finely chopped black olives or pieces of chorizo to the béchamel sauce.

  • Place the cauliflower in an ovenproof dish and pour the béchamel sauce over it. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Tip

For this cauliflower and Cheddar gratin, we recommend a Provençal olive oil – PDO matured olives (matured flavour) – for its aromas of black olives, candied fruit, woodland and/or toasted bread.You could just as easily choose another oil from the same flavour profile, such as the PDO olive oil from Aix-en-Provence – made from matured olives, the PDO olive oil from the Vallée des Baux-de-Provence – ripened olives, or the French olive oils made from ripened olives/traditional flavour.
We recommend...

For this recipe, we recommend a PDO huile d'olive de Provence - olives maturées (traditional taste) – for its aromas of black olives, candied fruit, woodland and/or toast.

If you don’t have any, then opt for the PDO huile d'olive d'Aix-en-Provence –  olives maturées, the PDO huile d'olive de la Vallée des Baux-de-Provence – olives maturées, or the PDO huile d'olive de Corse – Oliu di Corsica – récolte à l'ancienne.

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