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Friday, December 30, 2011

Cauliflower-Bacon Gratin - French Fridays With Dorie


















After all the calories laden food we had over the last few days, it is good to go for something lighter :p  ahem...I was delighted that FFWD recipe for this Friday is Cauliflower-Bacon Gratin...this is considered light compared to those red meat we had the last few days LOL!  Cauliflower and bacon plus those lips-smacking cheese and heavy cream.....baked till one's nostril  tingles with the aroma of the bacon and spices wafting out of the oven....awwww I have to walk extra miles to burn off the calories that I had been happily tucking in during the festive season .  

This gratin can be served as a side dish with a roast or as suggested by Dorie can be served as a brunch, lunch or supper with a salad...the last would be favored by me but I was too lazy to prepare a salad so I took this as brunch without salad.  It is like a quiche filling with extra flour and yet taste like a savory pudding with its rich, soft and creamy texture.  A classic no doubt !

















As usual I followed the instructions to the dot except that I added some dried mixed herbs to the mixture for some flavor. I should have taken Dorie's suggestions to add some curry to it and add in some sauteed onions too for a more exotic taste. I will definitely do that the next time I make this again :)  She said we can replace bacon with cubes of ham and pair the cauliflower with its cousin the broccoli .  Mixed herbs and thymes would be great for this dish , which I did add in some mixed herbs for extra flavor....it turned out more flavorful  * wink yummy good !


















I thought it was a bit bland so I decided
to take Dorie's suggestion and added in
some dried mixed herbs.....it was good !



















this gratin is best just from the oven or warm but like a 
quiche it can be taken at room temperature :) 


















this is simple and easy to prepare...one dish meal for us :p
especially after a short holidays, I tend to be a bit lazy
and this week FFWD was just great for me LOL!


















love the burnt melted cheese on the surface...
and the rich soft and creamy texture ..mmmm
yummy good !


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28 comments:

  1. This sounds amazing and I so like the way you "lighten" things up a bit! I would do the same thing adding the dried herbs...which I do often. The curry sounds good too...good with cauliflower. I love these Friday's with Dorie.

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  2. This was certainly a heavy hitter to close out the year with...but definitely worth those extra miles of walking to work it off :-)

    Have a great New Year, Elin!

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  3. I've this thing against the cauliflower here. Not as nice and fragrant as the ones in the UK...so I never buy or order when eating out. In the UK, just boi,l add a pinch of salt and eat. So nice, whole house filled with the fragrance.

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  4. Lyndsey...yea, I love cooking along with the other Doristas :) can compare notes :) Happy New Year to you !

    Cher...yea, but worth it ! It is delish with the mixed spices added to it :)

    Arthur...yea...Jo told me the same thing...after eating those cauliflower and broccoli from UK , you never want to eat those grown here and China :p

    Kathy....Happy New Year to you and hubby and Joshua too!

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  5. I think I really have to get the cookbook. The gratin looks fantastic.
    Happy New Year!
    Angie

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  6. Looks great! I thought this was more like a quiche too and also a bit bland. Great idea to add some herbs to up the flavor!

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  7. Mixed herbs sound like great additions to give it even more flavor. Your gratin browned so nicely. Have a Happy New Year!

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  8. This was good wasn't it? Happy New Year!

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  9. Looks good! We liked it, too!

    Have a fabulous New Year!

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  10. Looks so good! I'm with you on the extra walking this time of year, I think I need to walk all day and night to burn all the extra calories I've consumed these past few weeks!
    I like the way you photographed the open book with the gratin, I'll have to remember to do that next time. Happy New Year ;-)

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  11. I thought this was great. Some herbs sound like a nice idea too! Great that you enjoyed this.

    Happy New Year!!

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  12. Very nice pictures--it's a photogenic dish, isn't it?

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  13. Wow - yours looks amazing. Love love the color you got on this one. Since we have made it enough ourselves, I know from the photos just how yummy your dish turned out ! Had to chuckle because we noted some folks calling this comfort food (which it is) but compared to the creme brulee and everything else we have been eating- this is positively health food to us. Happiest of New Years !

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  14. Yours looks delicious! And I also loved the bubbling cheese crust. Great post!

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  15. "Mr Leaf" (hubbs) loves cauliflower & sometimes I make cauliflower cheese with is similar to your gratin. I make it as a side dish to go along something like a grilled chicken leg - easy cooking for sometimes when I'm too lazy to make anything complicated!

    Oh, and I didn't know cauli & broc was tastier over here???

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  16. I would walk miles to work off this one. It's such a treat to eat, despite how rich it is. Your gratin looks delicious.
    Happy New Year 2012!

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  17. Your gratin looks fabulous, and it is a perfect meal on its own. Happy New Year!

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  18. Elin, Thank you for all wonderful sharing, wishing you a blessed New Year 2012.

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  19. I love your crispy topping and the addition of herbs! Here's to many more French Fridays in 2012! Wishing you much health, happiness and deliciousness~

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  20. Mmmmm...I should have browned my cheese a little more. Yours looks great!

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  21. I agree, it was nice to have a simple recipe for the last one of the year - it's such a busy time. Yours came out beautifully. Happy New Year!

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  22. Definitely worth a power walk or 10. Your cauliflower has such an amazing color to it - golden, caramel. The cheese looks ooey and gooey too!

    Happy New Year, looking forward to your cooking experiences in 2012!

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  23. Yours looks beautiful and I love the dish you baked it in.

    Have a very Happy New Year!

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  24. I think most of us loved this gratin and the "idea" of the gratin with something other than potatoes. I am looking forward to our Dorista journey in the year ahead. Happy New Year.

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  25. Thanks Doristas for coming over to take a look at my gratin. Your kind words are encouragement to me. I am glad I joined FFWD and cook along with all of you :) Looking forward to more cook along with you guys in 2012. Sharing and comparing notes helps me to greater improvement!

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  26. Happy New year. Great to add mixed herbs to it. A great idea for the next time, because in our house there is definitely coming a next time for this dish. Your dish looks great.

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  27. "love the burnt melted cheese on the surface..."? It's not often people enjoy eating burnt food. Unless you make it yourself I suppose.

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