Cauliflower Puree
Pureed cauliflower is light, simple and pure. It may not replace mashed potatoes or other starch in your Shabbat meal, but it will certainly be close competition. I started making this many years ago, when our daughter went on a ketogenic low-carb diet. Now it doesn’t feel like Shabbat without it.
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled (optional)
- cloves garlic, peeled (optional)
Instructions
- Wash the cauliflower. Peel off all the green leaves, but don’t throw them away. Ever. Chopped in rough pieces, roasted in a hot oven with olive oil, salt and garlic—cauliflower leaves are one of nature’s great flavors. (Or use with chicken, below)
- So: To a large pot, add cauliflower and garlic. Add water to reach about 1/3 up the the vegetable. Bring to a boil, cover, and let boil until cauliflower is extremely tender, about 25 minutes. You can test it by poking it with a fork, which should slide in easily.
- Remove from heat. Drain and reserve the water. If you have an immersion or stick blender, use it to start pureeing the vegetable, adding the olive oil, salt, pepper, and enough reserved water to make a smooth puree. You can transfer everything to a blender and do the same. The key is don’t stop until the olive oil is emulsified and the mixture is silky and airy. Adjust the seasoning and keep warm until serving.
Notes
Parsnip Puree
This time of year (very early spring) the parsnips are extra sweet. You can use this same process to make a pure, parsnip puree, which emerges from the blender snow white and sweet.
Just peel and trim about two pounds of fresh, crisp parsnips, boil whole as above (or cut in chunks for faster cooking), and proceed with recipe.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
