Buttery Au Gratin Sauce for Broccoli and Cauliflower
When looking for a sauce with a difference for your cauliflower, potatoes or other vegetables, this Au Gratin Sauce may be what you are after.
It may sound and even look like a fancy-style sauce and have a fancy name, but this recipe is simple. It will give your cauliflower, broccoli, and any other vegetables you put the sauce on a whole new level of flavour.
I have to say I can’t take the credit for this; this is my father-in-law’s recipe, and he wanted to share it with me and then me to share it with all of you.
I have to admit the ingredients intrigued me, and I was curious about how it tasted.
What is Au Gratin?
Gratin is a combination of cheese or breadcrumbs with butter which is then placed under the griller or broiler (depending on where you are from) until browned.
How to make Buttery Au Gratin Sauce for Broccoli and Cauliflower
Although you can put this over the top of potatoes or other vegetables, I chose cauliflower and broccoli for this recipe. Now I can tell you till the cows come home how unique the flavour is and how well it goes with the vegetable I chose. But I will let you guys decide for yourselves.
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter
- Onion (brown or red)
- Garlic Clove
- Eggs
- Chicken Salt
- Breadcrumbs
- Fresh Parsley
Preparation
Note: Before making the sauce make sure that your vegetables are nearly cooked or cooked. The sauce needs to be added over the top as soon as you have finished making it to avoid the liquid separating.
Boil your eggs till they are hard-boiled. While the eggs are cooking, dice half a medium-sized onion and finely chop the garlic clove. Then chop the fresh parsley.
Once the eggs are cooked, peel and carefully chop them into small pieces.
Method
Add the butter to a pan and melt slowly over low heat. Once the butter has melted, pour it into a jug and set it aside for later use.
Add the chopped onion and finely chopped garlic cloves to the same pan. Saute over high heat until the onions become translucent in colour. Then turn down to medium heat, slowly pour in the melted butter, and add the breadcrumbs.
Stir constantly until well combined, and the liquid starts to thicken slightly.
Pro Tip: If it starts to bubble, remove it from the heat, keep stirring, and place it back on the heat. Repeat if necessary.
Remove altogether from the heat once the sauce is slightly thickened. Add the chopped parsley and stir till it resembles a runny paste.
Then add the chicken salt, this can be to taste, but I find 1 and 1/2 teaspoons is a good amount.
Stir this through, and then add the chopped up eggs.
Fold the eggs to avoid breaking them up smaller, especially the yolks.
Spoon the sauce over cooked cauliflower and broccoli and place under a hot griller until the top is a crisp golden brown.
Tip: if using a griller in the oven, set the temperature to 200°C.
To add a little extra to it, you can even sprinkle some parmesan or another cheese over the top just before placing it under the griller.
What does Au Gratin Sauce pair well with?
You can add Au Gratin Sauce over the top of other vegetable recipes such as:
Or you can even add it over the top of:
- Baked potatoes
- Scalloped potatoes
- Other steamed or boiled vegetables
Buttery Au Gratin Sauce for Broccoli and Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 125 g Unsalted Butter
- ½ Medium Brown Onion Red is also fine to use
- 1 Garlic Clove
- 1 tbsp Breadcrumbs
- 1½ tsp Chicken Salt or to taste
- 2 tbsp Fresh Parsley
- 2 Eggs hard boiled
Instructions
- Hard boil the eggs, peel and chop into small pieces. Dice the onion, finely dice the garlic and finely chop the parsley.
- In a pan slowly melt the butter over low heat. Pour the melted butter into a jug and place the pan back on the stove over high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute till the onion is translucent.
- Turn the heat down to medium, add the butter and breadcrumbs and stir till the liquid starts to slightly thicken. Note: Remove from the heat from time to time if the sauce starts to bubble.
- Remove from the heat entirely, add the parsley and stir till you get a runny paste. Add the chicken salt to taste and stir through.
- Add the eggs and fold the eggs through the mixture. Then spoon the sauce over the cooked broccoli and cauliflower. Place under a hot griller or broiler until the top goes a golden brown.
