I love菜花。它的微妙性质给创意厨师带来了可能性的世界。但是它必须正确烹饪并与正确的口味结合在一起。

For inspiration, I tend to look to the地中海, where this vegetable originated (cauliflower later became a staple in northern Europe, where it thrives as a cold-weather, frost-resistant crop). This may comes as a surprise to those who know cauliflower only through cheese-laden casseroles or bland puréed soups. But I find that the bold, vibrant flavors of Mediterranean cuisine are the perfect counterpoint to cauliflower’s mild manners.

购物花椰菜头

When shopping for a head of cauliflower, don’t walk away if you can’t find one that’s perfectly white and blemish-free. Yellow spots on the florets only mean that the vegetable got a little “sunburn”—the cauliflower’s leaves didn’t fully wrap themselves over the florets during growth. Sometimes cauliflower will have brown or grayish spots on the florets as well. That’s a small mold that’s just fine to slice away, according to the University of California at Davis Vegetable Research and Information Center. Most important, look for heads of cauliflower that are firm and not limp.

将其放在热水中

For the most part, I prefer roasting cauliflower to boiling or steaming because the high, dry heat concentrates the flavor, adds nuttiness, and encourages caramelization, which increases the complexity of the flavor. Sautéing is another favorite method; it delivers similar results to roasting. I often roast more than I plan to eat, saving the leftovers to toss with a quick vinaigrette the next day.

沸腾或蒸的往往会带出花椰菜的一维cababagy侧，这无助于消除花椰菜如此充满的水。如果您确实发现您需要非常简单的花椰菜来制作一部分食谱，我建议您蒸而不是煮沸，因为至少花椰菜不会吸收更多的水。

对于许多厨师来说，花椰菜的尴尬形状会带来挑战。这也有解决方案。修剪叶子后，我用小厨师的刀（也将做一个坚固，锋利的刀刀）的尖端切开主茎上，并尽可能多地释放大树枝。然后，我跟随每个小花的茎的生长模式，切断了较小的树枝，而不是仅切小花。实际上，我从来没有直接切过“花”。我喜欢通过切穿芽的茎部分，然后将它们拆开来保留小花的自然，弯曲形式。

Once you cut into a head of cauliflower, you don’t need to cook it all. One of its great features is that, uncooked, it seems to keep forever. Even for my family of four, one head of cauliflower goes a long way and, invariably, part of it ends up in the crisper, sometimes to linger for days. At a moment’s notice, I can trim off a few florets for a salad or pasta recipe.So don’t feel guilty about that half a cauliflower kicking around your fridge. Just cut off a bit when the urge arises.

Roast cauliflower for the best flavor

Roasting is an ideal way to prepare cauliflower. It’s simple and quick, requiring little attention and cooking in about 30 minutes. And the high, dry heat of the oven yields golden-brown, crisp-tender florets with an accent on the sweet, nutty essence of this vegetable—not its sulfurous, cabbagy traits. Roasted cauliflower, seasoned with a little salt and pepper, makes a great vegetable side dish as is. But tossed with just a few basic ingredients, a simple dish becomes exceptional. Try some of the ingredient combinations below.

要烤花椰菜，请将一个小头切成大小相同的小花，并用2汤匙折腾。橄榄油，盐和胡椒粉；在有框的烤盘上铺开。在最低架上的400ºF烤箱中烤一次，每10分钟转，直到金黄色和酥脆的味道为25至35分钟。

烤后，用美味的口音折腾
•新鲜的柠檬汁，切碎的新鲜迷迭香和切碎的刺山柑。
•橙皮，新鲜的欧芹和晒干的西红柿（燃油，排水和切碎）。
•切碎的卡拉马塔橄榄，干红辣椒片和苦蔬菜，例如endive，radicchio或西兰花佳肴（切成小块大小的碎片，然后在锅中烤锅里的烤花椰菜，然后仍然很热）。
•芥末醋（Dijon Mustard，White-Wine醋和外彩橄榄），并切碎了新鲜百里香。
•碎的蓝纹奶酪和香菜种子。
• Minced shallots, minced fresh tarragon, and grated lemon zest.