By James Martin
Cauliflower is incredibly versatile as you can see from our wealth of recipes - from curries, to soups to the comforting cauliflower cheese. Inexpensive and local, it ticks all the right boxes, so don't skimp on this classic British vegetable.
The ultimate Christmas roast beef
Roasted cauliflower and lentil salad with red pepper sauce
Spiced soy roast chicken
Cauliflower salad with barbecue chicken and honey
Cauliflower soup
Stuffed paratha for kids
Curried cauliflower soup
Caramelised scallops on cauliflower purée with pancetta
Spiced cauliflower with toasted coconut and red lentils
Spiced cauliflower
Piccalilli
Instant Punjabi-style pickle
Romanesco is a variety of green cauliflower with pointed, lime-green curds. It is more delicate than the standard cauliflower, and cooks more quickly. You may also find orange or purple cauliflowers in farmers’ markets and farm shops.
Choose cauliflowers with firm, compact, creamy-white heads, stout fresh leaves, and clean white stalks. Avoid any with limp, yellowing leaves, slimy stalks or spotted brown curds.
Cauliflower is in season from February to May and again from August to December.
A good, undamaged head will keep loosely wrapped for over a week in the fridge. Supermarkets tend to cut off the leaves, but in fact they give the delicate curd extra protection.
To freeze, divide the cauliflower into florets and wash. Blanch in boiling water, drain, plunge into iced water and drain again. Transfer to freezer bags, label and seal. Cook from frozen.
Trim off the leaves, cut off the core and separate the individual florets. Steam, fry, stir-fry or eat the florets raw in salads or eat as crudités with dips. Serve as a vegetable accompaniment to meat and poultry dishes, or use in soups, fritters, bakes, curries and, of course, cauliflower cheese. Cauliflower is also a major ingredient in piccalilli. Try roasting cauliflower – it really concentrates the flavour.
Article by Clarissa Hyman
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