Excerpted from Farmhouse Vegetables by Michael Smith. Copyright © 2023 Michael Smith. Photographyby Al Douglas. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random HouseCanada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
| Portions |
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| Makes 6 mains or 12 sides |
Ingredients
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- 1 head cauliflower, florets trimmed, stalk and stem chopped
- 2 cups milk
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-pound aged cheddar, grated, reserve 1 cup for crust
For the Caraway Rye Crust
- 2 ounces butter
- 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
- 8 ounces light rye bread
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (reserved from above)
Directions
Make the Cauliflower Mac n’ Cheese
- Preheat oven to 350°. Turn on the convection fan if you have one.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a furious boil. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente, tender but still slightly chewy, 10 minutes or so. Drain and reserve. Rinse the pot to use again.
- Toss half the cauliflower florets and all the chopped stems and stalks into the large pot. Add the milk and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook until tender, 10 minutes or so. Transfer to a high-speed blender, add the garlic, mustard, paprika, and salt and starting very slowly, carefully puree until smooth. (Hot liquids are dangerous, they can violently explode. For safety, drape a kitchen towel over blender, start slow, then gradually increase speed.) Return the sauce to the pot. Smoothly whisk in the cheese. Stir in the macaroni and reserved cauliflower florets. Transfer to a large baking dish.
Make the Caraway Rye Crust and Bake.
- Toss the butter into a small pot over medium-high heat. Swirl gently as it melts, steams, foams and eventually lightly browns. Remove from heat and add caraway seeds, swirling and gently toasting until fragrant, a minute or so. Grind bread into rough crumbs in food processor. Add the butter mixture and reserved cup of cheese. Pulse further, just enough to mix into coarse crumbs. Spread into a thick even layer over the mac n’ cheese. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, at least 45 minutes.