Serve up a Nordic-style cauliflower gratin
It is that time of the year people – new year, new me. Whether or not you believe in resolutions, there’s a high chance you’ve come out of the festive period feeling pretty sluggish, craving fresh and healthy food. Enter, the Nordic diet. Based on the cuisine of Northern Europe, the diet embraces homemade and home-grown seasonal food, with an emphasis on grains, berries, vegetables, poultry, fish and game. Scandinavian cook Trine Hahnemann’s book Eat Nordic explores the diet through more than 80 diverse recipes, including this delicious light version of cauliflower gratin.
INGREDIENTS
1 head of cauliflower, about 600 g, cut into chunks
1 red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon butter
2–3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
4 eggs
200 g skyr or quark
100 g cottage cheese
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
salt and freshly ground pepper
TO MAKE
Steam the cauliflower in salted water for about five minutes.
Remove from the water right away and leave to cool.
Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
Fry the red onion in the olive oil until golden at the edges.
Grease four small ramekins, or one big ovenproof dish, with the butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
Separate the eggs. Mix the yolks with the skyr or quark, cottage cheese and nutmeg. Fold into the cauliflower in a big mixing bowl, then add the red onions and season with salt and pepper. Whisk the egg whites lightly and fold into the cauliflower mixture.
Spoon the cauliflower mixture into the prepared ramekins or dish and bake for about 30 minutes.
Serves four.
This is an edited extract from Eat Nordic by Trine Hahnemann published by Quadrille and is available in stores nationally.
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