Hungarian Cauliflower

A four-ingredient gratin that leaves the two most important numbers unstated: the oven temperature and the point at which the cauliflower stops being tender and starts being mush. Both are worth fixing before you start.

• Oven temperatureThe recipe gives none. Bake at 400F, which browns crumbs in about 15 to 20 minutes without giving the cream time to break. A slower oven leaves the crumbs pale and dries the sauce out.
• Undercook the cauliflowerIt goes into the oven for another quarter hour, so boil it only until a knife meets slight resistance, roughly 5 to 7 minutes for florets. Cooked "until tender" in the pot and then baked, it collapses.
• Drain it hardCauliflower holds a surprising amount of water in its crevices. Drain in a colander for several minutes, or pat dry, or the sour cream thins into a puddle under the crumbs.
• Whole head or floretsThe recipe says only '1 head' and 'prepare and cook', so it is silent on whether the head goes in whole or is broken up. Florets cook faster and portion more easily; either works.
• Sour creamUse full-fat cultured sour cream. Low-fat and 'light' versions have little butterfat and can separate in the oven. Hungarian tejföl is commonly sold at around 20 percent fat; crème fraîche, though richer, is a workable stand-in.
• Butter the crumbsDry crumbs baked under cream go soggy underneath and dusty on top. Toss the cup of crumbs with 2 to 3 tablespoons of melted butter first; they brown evenly and stay crisp.
• Assembly orderAs written, crumbs go on before the cream, which soaks them. If you want a distinct crisp lid, spoon the seasoned sour cream over the cauliflower and scatter the buttered crumbs on top.
• SeasoningSalt and pepper only, per the original. A teaspoon of sweet Hungarian paprika stirred into the cream is consistent with the dish's origins and adds colour the pale gratin otherwise lacks.
• YieldSix as a side dish, per the original, from a single average head.