Whether it is blended right into a silky soup, the bottom for Buffalo bites, a pot roast various, or pizza crust, cauliflower proves its versatility time and time once more. This cruciferous chameleon readily takes on any function; the standard brassica can adapt to any taste, delicacies, or type wanted.
With so many prospects, even a seasoned chef could face selection paralysis when dealing with cauliflower. To lower by means of the noise, I spoke with three expert recipe builders about one of the simplest ways to prepare dinner it. They all selected the identical methodology—roasting—although every with a special most popular warmth supply.
The Cauliflower Connoisseurs
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The Best Way to Cook Cauliflower
Whether in a skillet, within the oven, or on the grill, roasting transforms cauliflower right into a golden-brown, candy, nutty present stopper.
Pixley, co-author of The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook and Vegetable Illustrated, amongst different cookbooks, is effectively versed in greens. She celebrates cauliflower for its versatility, and her “all-time favourite” preparation is skillet-roasting, or browning it in ample fats and generously seasoning. A real floret fanatic, Pixley particularly savors the tiny bits that tumble off the florets and crisp into golden-brown, nutty morsels.
Frazier approaches cauliflower very similar to an artist with a clean canvas. To get a heat, golden hue with darker brown spots and deep caramelized taste, she prefers to oven-roast cauliflower in small florets at a excessive temperature. She explains, “reducing the cauliflower into florets permits extra of its floor to come back into contact with [the] sizzling oven, so it might probably brown and crisp.” Frazier warns towards overcrowding the pan, which traps moisture and causes the cauliflower to steam moderately than caramelize.
Reynolds prefers to grill roasting thick cauliflower steaks when the climate’s heat. To do that, she retains the core intact to forestall the steaks from falling aside on the grates, rubs them with oil, and seasons with salt and pepper.
Reynolds then covers the grill, sustaining medium-high warmth to char the outsides whereas the middle softens simply sufficient. “At that time, they’re proper on the intersection of delicate, candy, moist, and roasty,” she describes, noting that she avoids soggy and dry cauliflower “in any respect prices.” The smoky char from the grill teases out cauliflower’s nuttiness—an ideal match for vibrant, punchy sauces like chimichurri or romesco.
Bonus Tip for Preparing Cauliflower
Cut florets with confidence. Instead of awkwardly reducing the core from a head of cauliflower and breaking every floret off, lower the top into quarters first, then angle the knife to chop the core from every quarter. The core and leaves are edible—scrumptious, in reality. Chop the core into equally sized items to the florets to make sure every chunk is evenly cooked.
