Cooking with Cauliflower

Like other members of the cabbage family, cauliflower tends to be most flavorful during the colder months. The familiar white heads are the most common type of cauliflower, but there are purple, green and golden varieties as well. When choosing, look for vibrant heads that are firm and dense with no bruises and store them by wrapping heads of cauliflower in perforated plastic bags and could be refrigerated for several days. Use as soon as possible, as cauliflower’s sweetness fades with time. Precut florets are even more perishable. Use them the day you buy them. Before cooking, clean them by soaking in salted cold water for 30 minutes or more to flush out any debris lodged inside the heads.

The core and leaves could be removed with a large knife, slice through the stem end close to the base of the head to remove the leaves. With a thin knife, cut around the core as close as possible to the florets to remove the core and tough stem ends in one piece. Cauliflowers could be separated into florets. Just core as described earlier, then break off the florets individually by hand.

Cauliflowers can be cooked quickly. To speed cooking time, divide the head into small florets. Florets can be boiled, steamed, or cooked in a microwave oven on high power. With either method, it takes about 5 minutes to cook a pound of cauliflower florets to tenderness.

For large heads of cauliflower (1.5 pounds or heavier), steaming is the best way to cook a large head whole. Core as describe earlier. Then, with a large knife, slice through the stem end close to the base of the head. Insert the tip of the knife deeply into the core, making two perpendicular cuts (or a deep X), to allow steam to permeate the tough core and stem areas more quickly. Steam over boiling water, with the core end down, until a knife can pierce the core easily, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Small heads of cauliflower (less than 1.5 pounds) can be cooked faster in a microwave oven. The microwave gives uneven results with larger heads. Again core as above. Then, slice through the stem end, as described for large heads. Place in a microwaveable dish (core end down), cover, and microwave on high power until the core can be easily pierced with a knife or fork, 6 to 7 minutes.

Add vinegar, lemon juice, or milk to the cooking water to preserve the white color of cauliflowers.