3 cups heavy cream (or half and half or whole milk)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Black pepper
Fresh tarragon (or thyme)
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt it generously, about 1-2 tablespoons. Cut your cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Remove the stem and then break it apart with your hands into small florets. Add the cauliflower florets to the salted, boiling water. Cook for about 10-12 minutes, or until tender, but not falling apart.
While the cauliflower is boiling, make your béchamel sauce. Béchamel is simply butter, flour and milk. It's the start to a mac-n-cheese sauce, any creamed vegetable dish, and it's one of those sauces you need to master. It's a game changer in cooking! So, start by making your roux, which is the thickening agent in this sauce. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a sauce pan. Then, sprinkle in 4 tablespoons of flour, and whisk together on medium heat. Cook this for about 1-2 minutes, or until the raw flour taste is cooked out. Slowly add in 3 cups of milk or cream and whisk, whisk, whisk! Bring to high heat and continue whisking until the mixture gets thick. This will take about 4-5 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper, of nutmeg, and fresh tarragon. Your sauce should be thick here. It will thin out when you add the cauliflower to the pan, because there will be moisture attached to the cauliflower.
When your cauliflower is cooked to your liking, add it directly into your béchamel sauce. Combine everything together until every piece of cauliflower is coated in your sauce. Taste for seasonings. Garnish with fresh tarragon and enjoy!
