Cooking cauliflower
Dramatic observation: cauliflower when cooked has a bad reputation ("it doesn't smell good!" and the like), and yet it's an excellent vegetable, very Breton, that deserves to be treated well, to give the best of itself.
9,147 3.3/5 (11 reviews)
Keywords for this post:CabbageCauliflowerCookingSmellFreshnessLast modified on: August 29th 2023
Cooking cauliflower
The main complaint is that it smells strong when cooked, and it's true that if you're not careful, you can smell around the house that you've cooked cauliflower!
Why this persistent smell? Because, as it cooks, cauliflower ends up developing sulphur compounds, which are unfortunately very odorous.
But this reaction and its odors only occur late in the cooking process, in other words, it's mainly the result of cooking too long. If you cook just long enough, you won't get any unpleasant odors.
These odors are also accentuated by the loss of freshness of cauliflower, i.e. the fresher it is, the less odorous it will be when cooked (for a short time).
1) Use the freshest cauliflower possible: the fresher it is, the less fragrant it will be. Don't leave it lying around in the refrigerator crisper. Cook it the same day, or the next day if possible.
2) Cook for as short a time as possible: When you prepare your cauliflower, cut it into small, even-sized pieces (they cook faster and more evenly).
If you're cooking "à l'anglaise" in boiling salted water, keep a close eye on the cooking process, and test it by sticking a knife blade into a piece of cauliflower. If it goes through easily, the cabbage is cooked, so take it out of the water immediately, and if you can't eat it straight away, refresh it under very cold water.
3) Even if you immediately think of cooking cauliflower in boiling salted water, this isn't the only possible method. Cauliflower can, for example, be cooked in milk, steamed or baked.
Oh yes, it's delicious raw too, so you can grate it to make an amazing cauliflower tabbouleh, or thinly slice it for salads or a crunchy cauliflower with lemon.
To sum up: to cook cauliflower optimally, use the freshest cauliflower possible, and cook it as short as possible.
Why this persistent smell? Because, as it cooks, cauliflower ends up developing sulphur compounds, which are unfortunately very odorous.
But this reaction and its odors only occur late in the cooking process, in other words, it's mainly the result of cooking too long. If you cook just long enough, you won't get any unpleasant odors.
These odors are also accentuated by the loss of freshness of cauliflower, i.e. the fresher it is, the less odorous it will be when cooked (for a short time).
What are the best ways to cook cauliflower?
1) Use the freshest cauliflower possible: the fresher it is, the less fragrant it will be. Don't leave it lying around in the refrigerator crisper. Cook it the same day, or the next day if possible.
2) Cook for as short a time as possible: When you prepare your cauliflower, cut it into small, even-sized pieces (they cook faster and more evenly).
If you're cooking "à l'anglaise" in boiling salted water, keep a close eye on the cooking process, and test it by sticking a knife blade into a piece of cauliflower. If it goes through easily, the cabbage is cooked, so take it out of the water immediately, and if you can't eat it straight away, refresh it under very cold water.
3) Even if you immediately think of cooking cauliflower in boiling salted water, this isn't the only possible method. Cauliflower can, for example, be cooked in milk, steamed or baked.
Is raw cauliflower possible?
Oh yes, it's delicious raw too, so you can grate it to make an amazing cauliflower tabbouleh, or thinly slice it for salads or a crunchy cauliflower with lemon.
To sum up: to cook cauliflower optimally, use the freshest cauliflower possible, and cook it as short as possible.
Lasts posts
Cherry clafoutis, with or without pits?
When it comes to cherry clafoutis recipes, there's often a camp of those who argue that you absolutely have to leave the stones in because it tastes better, and the other camp (myself included) who prefer cherries without stones, which makes a much more pleasant clafoutis to eat. But is it true...June 29th 20255265
Should potatoes be washed twice?
Let's say you have to make a recipe that includes potatoes, let's say sliced, you'll most likely proceed as follows: Peel the potatoes, wash them, slice them, wash them again, pat them dry and add them to your recipe. But there's a "but": depending on the recipe, the second washing may be a bad...May 19th 20252,173 15
Grilled bacon is much better in the oven
Some recipes call for thin slices of bacon to be cooked and added to the recipe, or to prepare one of those delicious breakfasts known as "à l'Anglaise".April 25th 20251,9865
The thermometer is your friend
There are many recipes or foods that require a (very) precise cooking temperature: foie gras, sugar for caramel, meats and fish, and not forgetting pastries. For these few examples, getting the cooking temperature wrong can spoil the whole recipe or dish: undercooked, it's no good or misses the...April 10th 20252,3255
Travel cakes
You may have come across the term "travel cakes" ("gateaux de voyage" in french) for certain pastries, so let's take a look at what they're all about.January 27th 20253,786
Other pages you may also like
What is the difference between bakery and patisserie?
This is a question that you may well have asked yourself and which I will attempt to answer. In France the two trades of "boulangerie" (bakery) and "pâtisserie" (patisserie and confectionery) have always been quite distinct, but where exactly do the boundaries lie? .February 7th 2017129 K 14.1
Egg yolks and caster sugar
We often come across recipes where we need to mix egg yolks with caster sugar. This would appear to be a very ordinary and simple thing to do but, be warned, these two ingredients can behave oddly together.February 15th 201878 K 24.3
How easy is it to chop herbs?
Whenever you have fresh herbs - parsley, chervil, coriander, mint, etc. - to incorporate into a recipe, we tell you to chop them up. In this case, "chopping" means separating the leaves from the stems, keeping only the leaves, and chopping them more or less finely. It's not very complicated,...September 12th 202310 K5
Fruits which can ruin your jelly
There are many ways of making a fruit mousse, but one of the simplest is to prepare a fruit jelly (basically a fresh fruit coulis with gelatine) and then mix this jelly before it sets completely with whipped cream. The result is perfect for filling a charlotte, for example. But do beware;...March 6th 201374 K4.0
Making the most of seeds: Dry roasting
In cooking, and particularly in baking, there are a lot of seeds we can use, such as linseed, sesame, poppy, etc. Usually, recipes simply say to add them just as they are to the mixture or dough. To make a seeded loaf, for example, prepare a plain bread dough as usual, then, towards the end of...January 30th 201559 K4.0
Post a comment or question
Follow this page
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.