Well… I’m sitting at my dining room table, typing this post, and waiting to hear if we have a snow day or not tomorrow as schools close in surrounding towns one by one. I love that teachers and administrators have the same anticipation that kiddos do. Keep those fingers crossed!
Now.. back to this vegetable. For dinner tonight I was playing around with baking chicken drumsticks. I want to find more recipes that can go into the oven and bake on their own without much tending. While that experiment was in progress I was freed up to focus on sides. We have been roasting vegetables a lot recently, and so I chose to mash up the cauliflower instead. This article had the brilliant idea of steaming/boiling it in stock rather than water. The result was smoother than any cauliflower mash I’ve made before, and it didn’t include any milk or cheese.
Since I was baking chicken I decided to also roasted some garlic cloves in the oven and then blended them in the final puree. Definitely a keeper!
Ingredients:
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 1 cup of chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
Steps and Notes:
- Place the garlic into a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes
- This worked tonight because I was also baking some chicken, so the oven was already on
- Cut the stem off of the cauliflower and dice the florets into small bits
- In a medium soup pot add the salt to the chicken stock and bring it to a boil
- Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove the cauliflower with a slotted spoon and place into a food processor
- Add 1/4 cup of the remaining stock
- Surprisingly, that was basically all that was left in the pot because the cauliflower soaked in all of that delicious flavor and juice!
- Pulse a few times, then add the roasted garlic
- Blend For 15 more seconds, or so, until smooth!
Serve warm!
Thoughts for next time:
- Follow the same recipe using half broccoli and half cauliflower
- Season with chili or jalapeno
- What other ideas do folks have for this side?
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The Pantry Portfolio 
Oh yes, roasting any veggie surely brings out the flavor profile of it! I think a little fresh-grated Parmesan or cheddar cheese plus just a teeny pinch of mustard might give it the flavor boost you are looking for! Glad you are out there experimenting!
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Yum, its been awhile since I have done cauliflower this way. For me it is quite a versatile dish, and healthy. I basically played with herbs and spices, and just went with whatever at the time.
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Fantastic idea to cook the cauliflower in stock – I’ll try this next time as I find just steaming it alone can lead to a lumpy mash!
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It was a true game changer with this dish. I agree, previously I had always found that the it would never fully mash. I’d love to know what you think if you make it!
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Will do – have you also tried roasting it whole?
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I haven’t. Do you recommend? Does it cook all the way through?
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Hi you must give it a try – it takes an hour at 180C to 200C but yes it cooks through. All it needs is massaging with olive oil, salt and lemon before cooking. Check out my recipe!
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I’m going to try it this week! Looking forward to it. I will indeed check out your recipe. Thank you!
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I can see how cooking it in the stock would add additional flavor. I’ve sometimes added a little creme fraiche or sour cream to mashed cauliflower.
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Lovely ideas! Thanks for stopping by and for giving me some new things to try.
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My pleasure.
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I love cauliflower. Thanks for the recipe.
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