Broccoli & Cheddar Gratin - Cook's Illustrated

Broccoli and Cheddar Gratin
November 2007
Poorly made broccoli gratin is a gruesome merger of floury sauce and mealy broccoli sitting under a damp carpet of bread crumbs. Here is our take on how to do it right.

STEP-BY-STEP
Preparing Broccoli


1. Place the head of the broccoli upside down on the cutting board and use a large knife to trim off the florets very close to their heads. Cut the florets into 1-inch pieces.


2. Stand each stalk up on the cutting board and square it off with a large knife. This will remove the outer 1/8 inch from the stalk, which is quite tough. Now cut the stalk in half lengthwise.