Cauliflower Gratin & Sarlat Potatoes

__________________________________________________

            FOOD FUNNY
__________________________________________________

Anna Welander doesn't say so, but this one has the ring of truth if you
ask me:

A man bought a new fridge for his house. To get rid of his old fridge,
he put it in his front yard and hung a sign on it saying: "Free to good
home. You want it, you take it." For three days the fridge sat there
without even one person looking twice at it. He eventually decided that
people were too untrusting of this deal. It looked too good to be true,
so he changed the sign to read: "Fridge for sale $50." The next day
someone stole it.

__________________________________________________

            TODAY'S RECIPES
__________________________________________________

Cauliflower Gratin (Gratin de Chou-Fleur)

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
4 Tbs (60 ml) butter
3 Tbs (45 ml) all-purpose flour
2 cups (500 ml) milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
A grating of fresh nutmeg
3/4 cup (180 ml) grated Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup (125 ml) grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs (30 ml) creme fraiche or heavy cream
1 egg yolk
2 slices white bread, crusts removed

Steam or boil the cauliflower in salted water until tender, about 15
minutes. Meanwhile, heat half the butter in a small saucepan over
moderate heat and stir in the flour. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3
minutes. Stir in the milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and bring to a boil,
stirring frequently. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in
1/2 cup (125 ml) of the Gruyere, 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the Parmesan, the
creme fraiche, and the egg yolk. Process the bread in an electric
blender or food processor to make fresh bread crumbs. Combine the bread
crumbs with the remaining cheese. Drain the cauliflower and put into a
buttered gratin or shallow baking dish. Spread the sauce over the
cauliflower and sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the sauce. Dot
with the remaining butter and bake in a preheated 475F (245C) oven for
10 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

**************************************************************

In the Perigord region of France the favored cooking oil is the fat
rendered from the bountiful geese of the area. Elsewhere in the world my
readers may find butter or duck fat easier to come by, but regardless of
what you use, this is a classic dish of the French home cook.

Sarlat Potatoes (Pommes de Terre Sarladaises)

2-3 lbs (900-1350 g) potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1/3 cup (80 ml) goose or duck fat, or butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup (25 ml) chopped parsley
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Rinse the sliced potatoes, drain, and pat dry. Heat the goose fat in a
large cast iron skillet over high heat and saute the potatoes, shaking
the skillet frequently, until the potatoes are cooked, 10 to 15 minutes.
Combine the parsley and garlic and sprinkle over the potatoes.
Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Wed Jan 31 06:36:06 2007