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Prep time
30 minutes
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Cook time
45 minutes
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Serves
4-6
Author Notes
Breakfast for dinner, you bet ya. I remember as a child watching Graham Kerr make omelets. I got a chance to see him do it again once I had learned to cook. It was like PBS classics or something. Never the less I made the omelet. I didn't really like it. I did like the idea of what he did though. I also really like Kaiserschmarrn, the Viennese dessert pancake. I make David Bouley's version at Christmas and just love it. This is some weird combination of the above that just works, it is souffle but not souffle. I think it is best with really crusty bread and nothing else. It is almost a course to itself. - thirschfeld —thirschfeld
Test Kitchen Notes
This is the stuff that food fantasies are made of. The creamy, dense pudding-like soufflé suspends the cauliflower puree, which is bound on top by a thin layer of gruyere. The flavors of the cauliflower, cream, eggs, and cheese are well-balanced, and the spices are distinct enough that you taste them, yet light-handed enough that they keep in the background. Nutmeg goes very nicely with curry, cayenne, and white pepper. The kosher salt and white pepper could be added to taste with the other spices to the béchamel, or sprinkled on the top with the cheese. - SallyCan —The Editors
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Ingredients
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1/2
head of cauliflower, steamed until tender and cooled
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1/4 cup
heavy cream
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3 tablespoons
all purpose flour
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2 tablespoons
unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
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1 cup
hot whole milk
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3/4 cup
Gruyere, grated
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Pinch
nutmeg
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1/4 teaspoon
curry powder
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1/8 teaspoon
cayenne
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1 pinch
kosher salt
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1 pinch
fresh ground white pepper
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5
large eggs, seperated, whites whipped until stiff
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 400°F.
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Combine the cauliflower and the cream in a food processor and puree until it is as smooth as you an get it.
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To make the béchamel sauce place a sauce pan over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the flour and continually stir until you have a paste. Keep stirring so it doesn't brown. Once it smells like popcorn add the hot milk while whisking. Be careful it can splatter violently so make sure the milk is very hot.
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Add the curry, cayenne and nutmeg. Bring it to a boil to thicken it.
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In the bowl with the yolks whisk them to combine them. Add a 1/4 cup of the hot béchamel and whisk to temper the eggs. Add the rest of the béchamel and whisk. Add the cauliflower puree and whisk again.
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Add 1/2 a cup of the gruyere and stir until it is melted. Add a third of the stiff egg whites and fold them into the batter. Add the rest and fold them in until you see no streaks of whites.
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Butter a 8 inch enameled or non-stick skillet. Add the batter, top with the remaining cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until the top is browned and it is set in the middle. Serve immediately
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