You've Heard Of 'Melting' Cabbage And Potatoes — Now It's Time To Try It With Cauliflower

Boiling, baking, roasting, frying. There is no shortage of ways to cook cauliflower. And yet, that doesn't stop the creative culinary hivemind from hunting for new ways to cook this cruciferous veggie. Last winter, Tasting Table covered the emergence of the melting method which crafty home cooks have been using for everything from fondant potatoes to cabbage. The melting method is kind of like a melting pot combination of two techniques: slow roasting and braising. To melt cauliflower, or any veggie, you start first by roasting it at high heat until caramelized. Then, you add a broth or cooking liquid, and slowly cook it until soft and melting.

When melting cauliflower, it's important to break down the florets into medium-sized pieces. The tinier they are, the faster they will burn rather than roast. This is an important consideration, because melting involves cooking at high temperatures (melting can exceed 450 degrees Fahrenheit). Alternatively, cauliflower florets that are too large (think 3-inches or more) can be fine, but they will take a longer time to roast golden. Instead, look to have pieces that are around 1½ to 2-inches thick. Your braising liquid can be as simple as chicken broth, but consider adding some seasoning, aromatics, or flavorings like Dijon mustard to impart a deeper flavor to the cauliflower and liquid.

True to its name, melted cauliflower should have a texture that nearly dissolves in your mouth. Those bits that have been browned by the Maillard reaction should add some contrasting textures and prevent the sensation that you're eating baby food. Melted cauliflower can range in flavor depending on how you seasoned the florets before roasting, and the liquid you used to soften them. That makes it a highly versatile side dish for a range of foods.

A melted cauliflower that has been seasoned with something simple, like Italian herbs, could be the perfect topping for Ina Garten's cauliflower toast. In similar fashion, the best lamb recipes, be they slow cooker leg of lamb or a lamb chop, could be accentuated by cauliflower that's been melted with harissa paste mixed in to the broth. With a bit of garlic and some shredded parmesan tossed in, melted cauliflower might even be a good choice underneath your sheet pan chicken piccata. While learning how to melt your cauliflower can certainly be exciting, the most fun you're likely to have is figuring out how you want to cook it.