People have odd reactions to cauliflower. It’s considered strange or ugly, so I think a majority of people have never cooked it at home. If you have young children, saying “Eat your cauliflower” is likely to cause domestic rebellion. It is an acquired taste.
The first records of cauliflower date to the 6th century B.C. The Romans wrote about cauliflower as did the early Arabs. Originally, the plant was though to come from Cyprus but now Syria is thought to be the possible home. There are hundreds of cauliflower varieties, the product especially of breeding programs over the past two hundred years.
These green ones are relatively new and first appeared about 20 years ago. Even if you’ve never cooked one at home, surely you have been in a Chinese restaurant. With enough sauce … Well, you know.
I’m a mathematician by training and I’ve been interested in chaos theory and fractals, topics you may have seen. The Mandelbrot Set or the Julia Set adorn many a tee-shirt. As you can see from the picture, the cauliflower head seems to be composed of ever smaller repetitions of the same 3D structure. Actually, the fractal dimension of cauliflower is 2.8, but that’s a topic to be explored in a class on fractals and not in the kitchen.
Anne notes that in Tuscany, where fractals are not the rage, there is a very popular style of dish: a sformato, which translates into “hardened into the shape of a mold.” In these dishes, pureed vegetables are mixed with a béchamel-like sauce, make from butter, flour and milk. Poured into a pie dish, the mixture is adorned with a layer of Parmigiano Reggiano before baking — it’s Italian!
This dish can serve as a side or, with all the cheese you add, as the main course. It comes from the oven bubbling hot with melted cheese slathering about the top. Americans are not the only people who have discovered comfort food.
Go on. Try it. Cauliflower won’t kill you. With enough sauce.
Okay, if you won’t try cauliflower, then Anne suggests fennel, string beans, spinach, onions or potatoes. You simply have to like one of those!
Sformato Di Cavolofiore or Cauliflower Pie
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 head firm, white or green cauliflower, cleaned and separated into individual florets
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons white flour
- 2 cups milk
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 6 [or more!] tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
Preparation:
Place the cauliflower florets into boiling salted water over medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes or until the florets can be easily pierced with a fork; drain.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat; sauté the onion until lightly browned. Add the cauliflower and continue to sauté until the florets begin to stick slightly to the pan; remove the cauliflower to a large bowl. Mash the florets with a fork until they become a thick, chunky paste. (Do not use a food processor as this would create too much liquid.)
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet; using a spatula, scrape into the butter any remnants of the cauliflower. Add flour and stir until you have a pastelike consistency. Add the milk, stirring constantly with a whisk until the mixture is thick and soupy; add nutmeg and stir until all ingredients are blended.
Return the cauliflower to the skillet; add salt and pepper and blend thoroughly.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees; grease an 8- or 9-inch pie pan with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Pour entire contents of skillet into the pan; coat the top with the cheese, and bake for 45 minutes or until the middle is firm to the touch.
Slice and serve hot.
Source: From the Tables of Tuscany by Anne Bianchi [Ecco Press, 1995]
Photo Information: Canon T2i, EFS 60 mm Macro Lens, F/2.8 for 1/100th second at ISO‑2000