You consider yourself a vegetable aficionado, buying Brussels sprouts by the stalk, munching beets of every stripe and crunching roasted kale chips with abandon.
But sometimes, cauliflower confounds you. You drench it with hollandaise or cheese sauce or ignore it completely, invoking Mark Twain's quip, "Cauliflower is nothing more than cabbage with a college education."
Too bad. You're missing out on some good eating.
"I love cooking cauliflower. I think it's multidimensional," says Angelo Sosa, Top Chef contestant and author of the new Flavor Exposed: 100 Global Recipes From Sweet to Salty, Earthy to Spicy (Kyle Books, $29.95). "The texture is beautiful, very silky and smooth, so white and so earthy. And that beautiful cauliflower flavour is just magical," he adds. "After you cook it, you get a lot of nutty flavour and nutty aromas coming through."
So how does he coax flavour from cauliflower?
"I definitely would make something like a cauliflower flan or a panna cotta," says Sosa, chef/partner at restaurants Social Eatz and Anejo Tequileria in New York. "If I want more of a Mediterranean or Italian or Moroccan feel, maybe I'd macerate some beautiful golden raisins in some riesling or Japanese vinegar to contrast that."
He'll roast cauliflower or cook it in milk or turn it into a playful "couscous" by breaking cauliflower into florets, pulsing in a food processor until it breaks down into couscous-like pieces then cooking it in a splash of water until just tender and dry. "You could add pine nuts, sliced almonds, dates," Sosa says. Just don't overcook it. "The goal is to retain its colour."
CAULIFLOWER AND ALMOND PUREE
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Serve with lamb or any other red meat.
2 pounds cauliflower, cut into florets
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 to 1 cup water
1 cup blanched whole almonds
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Combine the cauliflower, milk, water and almonds in a large saucepan. Heat to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium. Cover; simmer, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender, 10 minutes.
Carefully transfer mixture to a blender or food processor, working in batches if necessary; puree. Add butter, sugar and salt; blend until very smooth. Reheat if necessary before serving.
Note: Adapted from Flavor Exposed.
CAULIFLOWER WITH GINGER, GARLIC AND GREEN CHILIES
Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a wok over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add 1/2 teaspoon each cumin seeds and yellow mustard seeds. As soon as seeds begin to pop (a few seconds) add 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped; a 1-inch piece of peeled fresh ginger, finely sliced; about 4 cups cauliflower florets; and 1 to 3 fresh hot green chilies. Stir-fry until cauliflower is lightly browned, 5-7 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper and freshly ground black pepper to taste; gently toss with the florets. Add 1/2 cup water; cover wok and cook for 2 minutes.
Makes: 3 to 4 servings
Note: Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking.
