Dinner Tonight: Cauliflower Purée
I’ve been on a little cauliflower kick lately and just couldn’t turn down the possibility of what was essentially cauliflower mashed potatoes. Yep, it’s a holdout from the low-carb craze. But I didn’t care if it was healthy; I just wanted to see if it was worth it. I found the recipe in Ted Allen’s The Food You Want to Eat, and even he seems a little ashamed of it, regardless of the fact that it ended up being delicious.
And he’s right, the cauliflower puree never feels like a mashed potato rip-off. Instead it makes an earthier offering that’s perfect with lighter dishes like fish. To spruce up things Ted advises a few possible additions. He likes to add curry powder, English mustard, blue cheese or parmesan. I settled on the last item, adding huge grated handful at the very end. It won’t replace mashed potatoes on the Thanksgiving table, but might provide a lighter side to some grilling sessions.
Cauliflower Purée
- serves 4 -
Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Procedure
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Meanwhile, cut off the stems of the cauliflower and break into florets. Toss in a steamer basket atop the boiling water and steam for about 15 minutes.
2. Remove the cauliflower and toss half of it in a blender along with 1/4 cup of the steaming water. Process into smooth. Add the other half of the cauliflower along with another 1/3 of cup of the steaming liquid. Process that batch until smooth.
3. With the motor running add the butter, salt, and pepper. When incorporated, turn off the blender, and fold in the parmesan. Season with salt if it needs it, and serve.
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8 Comments:
It doesn't replace mashed potatoes, but a 50/50 mixture of cauliflower and potato makes a pretty healthy alternative!
peachfish at 5:20PM on 05/09/08
My most favorite recipe for cauliflower is to roast it with chopped garlic and olive oil. If you aren't a cauliflower lover, this will convert you!
Catharine56 at 1:53AM on 05/10/08
Mashed cauliflower is a favorite around our house. I can't seem to make enough of it. The 50/50 mixture of cauliflower and potato sounds interesting. I may have to give that a try.
http://www.dinnersforayear.blogspot.com
eatmyfood at 8:17AM on 05/10/08
I make a cauliflower mash with heavy cream, butter and caramelized onions. Steam the cauliflower until tender, dump it in a saucepan, add the other ingredients and buzz it with your immersion blender. You can really control the texture here and I've had it stand up to steaks and braises. Needs plenty of salt & pepper.
bessfour at 8:59AM on 05/10/08
I don't have a food processor or a blender right, now, so I've been making 'twice-baked cauliflower' instead (it's in the oven as I type!). lovelovelove cauliflower.
http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2006/09/twice-baked-cauliflower-recipe.html
joyyy at 10:32PM on 05/13/08
I bet the purple or orange color cauliflower would go over well with kids! Visualize this dish...
joannabar at 10:24AM on 05/14/08
I eat mashed cauliflower all the time I steam it tender in the microwave with a lid and a tiny bit of water. Once the cauliflower is tender I take a slotted spoon and scoop out the veges and put in a food processor. I add some cream cheese, salt and pepper and it is faux mashed potatoes for us. After transferring it to a bowl I put some butter on the top to let melt and a sprinkle of ground pepper. I actually like it better than real mashed potatoes.
Doxielvr3 at 2:42PM on 01/09/09
it would have been perfect with about a quarter of the salt content, I was left thirsty and my lips were actually tingling! I will try again though because it is really tasty. My husband actually thought it had potato in! try adding some chopped chives, it gave it a bit of colour and looked a bit more special
paynter at 1:01PM on 03/04/09