Chef Ally
Braised Leeks with Mustard Vinaigrette
Leeks braised slowly in butter and stock until their layers turn silky and sweet, then dressed while still warm with a punchy Dijon vinaigrette that wakes everything up.
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Roasted Cauliflower with Brown Butter and Capers
Created by
Peak-season cauliflower roasted until deeply golden and almost nutty, finished with amber brown butter, crispy capers, and a scattering of fresh parsley. Simple food that tastes like the person who made it cared.
Side Dishes
French
Weeknight
Dinner Party
10 min
Active Time
45 min cook•55 min total
Yield4 servings
Aperfect cauliflower needs almost nothing done to it. High heat. Good oil. Salt. Time. The rest is restraint.
Look for heads that feel heavy for their size, with tight, ivory florets and bright green leaves still clinging to the stem. That aliveness tells you the cauliflower was harvested recently. In the fall and early winter, when nights turn cold, cauliflower sweetens. The plant converts starches to sugars to protect itself from frost. This is when you want to make this dish.
Brown butter is one of the great French techniques, and one of the simplest. You cook butter until the milk solids toast and the whole thing smells like hazelnuts. It takes three minutes. The capers add brine and snap, tiny bursts of the sea against all that sweet, caramelized vegetable. A squeeze of lemon keeps everything bright.
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Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
cauliflower
Quantity
1 large head (about 2 pounds)
leaves trimmed, core intact
extra-virgin olive oil
Quantity
3 tablespoons
fine sea salt
Quantity
to taste
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
freshly ground
unsalted butter
Quantity
6 tablespoons
salt-packed capers
Quantity
3 tablespoons
rinsed and patted dry
fresh lemon juice
Quantity
1 tablespoon
fresh flat-leaf parsley
Quantity
2 tablespoons
leaves only
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| cauliflowerleaves trimmed, core intact | 1 large head (about 2 pounds) |
| extra-virgin olive oil | 3 tablespoons |
| fine sea salt | to taste |
| black pepperfreshly ground | to taste |
| unsalted butter | 6 tablespoons |
| salt-packed capersrinsed and patted dry | 3 tablespoons |
| fresh lemon juice | 1 tablespoon |
| fresh flat-leaf parsleyleaves only | 2 tablespoons |
Equipment Needed
- •Large rimmed baking sheet
- •Light-colored skillet or small saucepan
- •Serving platter
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven
Position a rack in the center of your oven and heat to 425°F. High heat is essential. It caramelizes the natural sugars in the cauliflower and creates those deep golden edges that taste almost nutty. A timid oven produces pale, steamed results.
Give your oven a full twenty minutes to preheat. Most ovens lie about when they are ready. - 2
Prepare the cauliflower
Trim the outer leaves but keep the core intact. The core holds everything together during roasting and is completely edible when cooked. Slice the head from top to bottom into steaks about one inch thick. The outer pieces will break into florets. That is fine. You want a mix of flat surfaces and craggy bits.
- 3
Season and roast
Spread the cauliflower in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and turn each piece to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. The pieces should not touch. Crowding creates steam, and steam prevents browning. Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, turning once halfway through, until deeply golden and tender when pierced with a knife.
Use two sheet pans if needed. The space matters more than the convenience of one pan. - 4
Make the brown butter
While the cauliflower finishes, cut the butter into pieces and place in a light-colored skillet or saucepan. Light color lets you see the butter change. Set over medium heat. The butter will foam, then the foam will subside. Watch carefully. Swirl the pan. When you see golden-brown specks at the bottom and smell toasted hazelnuts, pull the pan from the heat. This happens quickly. Thirty seconds separates brown butter from burnt butter.
- 5
Add capers and lemon
Immediately add the dried capers to the hot brown butter. They will sizzle and crisp slightly, releasing their brine into the fat. Add the lemon juice. It will sputter. Swirl to combine. The lemon arrests the cooking and brightens the butter.
- 6
Finish and serve
Transfer the roasted cauliflower to a warm serving platter. Spoon the brown butter and capers over the top, making sure every piece gets some. Scatter the parsley leaves. Serve immediately while the butter is still warm and fragrant. This is not a dish that waits.
Chef Tips
- •At the farmers market, ask when the cauliflower was cut. Same-day or yesterday is ideal. Supermarket heads are often a week old or more, and the flavor fades with each passing day.
- •Salt-packed capers have better flavor than those swimming in brine. Rinse them well under cold water and dry completely before adding to the butter, or they will spatter.
- •Do not walk away while browning the butter. It goes from perfect to ruined in seconds. Use your nose as much as your eyes. When it smells like toasting nuts, pull it from the heat.
- •If cauliflower is not in season, look for Romanesco in late fall or purple cauliflower at specialty markets. Both roast beautifully and deserve the same treatment.
Advance Preparation
- •The cauliflower can be cut into steaks up to a day ahead and refrigerated, covered with a damp towel.
- •Brown butter cannot be made ahead. It takes three minutes and must be served immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 220g)
Calories
300 calories
Total Fat
28 g
Saturated Fat
12 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
14 g
Cholesterol
45 mg
Sodium
430 mg
Total Carbohydrates
12 g
Dietary Fiber
5 g
Sugars
4 g
Protein
5 g
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