Recipes > Recipe Archive > Cauliflower
Cauliflower, cousin to broccoli, is the most elegant member of the cabbage family — or as Mark Twain famously declared, “cabbage with a college education.” This cruciferous vegetable is so named because it bears cross-shaped flowers (florets) on clusters of stalks. In cooking parlance, the undeveloped flowers of the cauliflower are called the “curd,” a term you’ll see in some recipes. Like other cruciferous vegetables (turnips, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, broccoli rabe, collard greens), cauliflower is good for you. It contains a wide variety of disease-fighting antioxidants and phytochemicals, which scientists believe may help prevent cancer of the stomach, lungs, and colon. It’s also rich in vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins C and B.
Cauliflower probably originated in the Mediterranean or China, though no one knows for sure, then worked its way to the Middle East. By the Middle Ages it was widely cultivated in the Arab world, arriving in Europe by the beginning of the 17th Century. Cauliflower is a relative newcomer to the United States, however; commercial cauliflower cultivation here didn’t start until the 1920s.
Like its cousin broccoli, cauliflower is a cook’s staple, available year-round. The most common variety is white, but green and purple varieties exist, too. There’s also a hybrid vegetable called broccoflower, which is a genetic cross between broccoli and cauliflower; the resulting vegetable has the structure of cauliflower and the green color of broccoli, but it closely resembles cauliflower in flavor.
Although cauliflower can be purchased any time of year, the cold months yield the best quality. When choosing cauliflower, don’t pass up a head that’s not perfectly white. Yellow spots on the florets mean that the vegetable got sunburned during growth because the leaves didn't fully protect the head from the sun. Choose firm, compact heads with crisp, green leaves. Small leaves extending through the curd don’t affect quality. Avoid cauliflower that has brown or black speckling on the florets; this is a sign of age (the offending spots can be sliced away before cooking). Store cauliflower in a plastic bag and refrigerate for up to a week.
Cauliflower is easy to prepare, but like all members of the cabbage family, its appeal suffers terribly if overcooked. It becomes soft and mushy, and it takes on a strong, unpleasant flavor. In general, rapid cooking and high heat are the surest ways to reduce cooking odors, maintain crispness, and slow the loss of valuable nutrients. The longer the cauliflower cooks, the stronger its flavor will become. To prepare, trim away the base leaves. Small heads of cauliflower can be cooked whole. Trim out the base of the core by cutting around the stem in a cone shape with a small knife; this allows for faster, more even cooking. To prevent discoloration, add one tablespoon of lemon juice or one cup of milk to the cooking water.
Large cauliflowers should be broken into florets or quartered to ensure even cooking. Removing the core is also the easiest way to separate the curd into florets. Preserve the shape of the florets by wedging a knife between the smaller stems, then snapping them apart (not cutting through the buds). Once prepped, the florets can be eaten raw, blanched, steamed, roasted, sautéed, or stir-fried. If you have more cauliflower than you need for a given meal, place the extra in a plastic bag and refrigerate. Uncooked cauliflower keeps for days, so you can just trim off what you need in stages.
CHEF’S TIP: Add a handful of celery leaves or a half teaspoon of celery seeds to cauliflower cooking water to reduce the “cabbage-y” odor.
