How to Prepare Cauliflower Florets

Preparation

Purchase a suitable cauliflower. It should be firm, white, free of blemishes or rot, and have compact clusters. The leaves should be fresh, healthy, and green.

Remove the outer leaves of the cauliflower. If you want, save the leaves for a vegetable stock, along with the other parts of the cauliflower you would regularly discard.

Turn the cauliflower over so that its stem is facing you.

Slice it off. Reserve if desired for vegetable stock.

Prepare the florets. Hold the cauliflower with one hand.Prepare Cauliflower Florets Step 5Bullet1.jpg Hold the knife in your dominant hand. Place it at a 45º angle and slice into the smaller stems around the cauliflower. Use a circular motion. The inner stem can be removed as the florets slice away.Prepare Cauliflower Florets Step 5Bullet2.jpg

Wash the florets. Place them into a colander and wash under running water.

Cut off any blemishes. Cauliflower often has harmless brown marks from rubbing; simply cut these away. Make sure that dirt is washed off or cut away.

Assess the florets. Are they the right size for your dish now? In many cases, they will still be too large and you'll need halve and maybe even quarter them, depending on what you're using the florets for.

Use as required. Follow some of the methods below for different ways to cook cauliflower.

Method One: Steaming

Bring a large pot containing several quarts of water to a boil. If desired, add 1 cup of milk to kettle. This will help keep the cauliflower white. Optional: Add the juice of 1/2 lemon to the water instead of milk. The lemon juice should also help keep the florets whiter.Prepare Cauliflower Florets Step 10Bullet1.jpg

Place a vegetable rack above the boiling water. Place the vegetable rack high enough above the water so that the water won't boil over onto the florets.

Drop the cauliflower onto the vegetable rack and reduce heat to medium. Cover cauliflower with a lid.

Steam cauliflower for 4 to 6 minutes, checking after 4 minutes. When a knife pierces the stem of the cauliflower easily, the vegetable is fully cooked. You want the cauliflower to be tender but still slightly crunchy at the core. If you want to steam a cauliflower whole, the process will take about 17 to 20 minutes.Prepare Cauliflower Florets Step 13Bullet1.jpg

Season with salt and pepper. Serve!

Method Two: Baking

Preheat oven to 400° F (~204° C) and bring 7 to 8 US quarts (7,000 to 8,000 ml) of water to a rolling boil.

Parboil one head of cauliflower, cut into florets, in the boiling water for 3 minutes. Parboiling simply means quickly boiling, not fully cooking. Remove from water and strain away all water.

Assemble the cauliflower on a baking dish or roasting pan. Into the pan, place: 2 to 3 cloves of coarsely minced garlicPrepare Cauliflower Florets Step 17Bullet1.jpg Juice from 1/2 lemonPrepare Cauliflower Florets Step 17Bullet2.jpg Olive oil to coat cauliflower evenlyPrepare Cauliflower Florets Step 17Bullet3.jpg Salt and pepperPrepare Cauliflower Florets Step 17Bullet4.jpg

Once the oven has reached 400° F, cook the cauliflower in the oven for 25 to 35 minutes.

Take the cauliflower out of the oven and serve. If desired, sprinkle liberally with Parmesan cheese before serving.Prepare Cauliflower Florets Step 19Bullet1.jpg

Method Three: Cauliflower with Sauce

Add 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water to a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Place the florets of 1 large cauliflower into the saucepan.

Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender.

Drain the liquid from the saucepan and measure it. You want about 1 cup of liquid. For each 1/2 cup of liquid, blend in 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch until the starch is no longer visible. Remove the cauliflower from the saucepan and place the liquid back in.

To the liquid, add: 3 tablespoons butterPrepare Cauliflower Florets Step 24Bullet1.jpg 3 tablespoons lemon juicePrepare Cauliflower Florets Step 24Bullet2.jpg 1 tablespoon grated onion (finely chopped shallots are also fine)Prepare Cauliflower Florets Step 24Bullet3.jpg 1 teaspoon ground turmericPrepare Cauliflower Florets Step 24Bullet4.jpg Salt and pepper to tastePrepare Cauliflower Florets Step 24Bullet5.jpg

Cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened. If desired, add in 2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) of capers into the liquid.

Pour the sauce over the cauliflower and garnish with chopped parsley.