Cauliflower Boiled
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Cut the cauliflower just before using and discard all but the small leaves near the flower.
Soak the cauliflower head in strong salted water for 30 minutes to remove caterpillars.
Boil and serve
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and add salt and baking soda.
Add the cauliflower to the boiling water, partially cover, and let it cook for 20 to 30 minutes depending on size.
Lift the cauliflower out using a fork through the stalk and place it on a hot dish.
Pour a rich white sauce over the cauliflower and serve.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Cauliflower
- Forms the main body of the dish, cooking to a tender texture while holding its shape.
- Baking soda
- Raises the water's alkalinity, which helps the cauliflower keep a brighter color while cooking.
The step that matters
Add the cauliflower to the boiling water and cook it covered for 20 to 30 minutes. The cauliflower must cook long enough to become tender throughout, and cooking time varies with head size. Partial covering keeps the water near boiling while letting some steam escape, so the florets soften evenly without overcooking into mush.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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