Years ago I drove through France with English friends on our way down to Provence. We were trying to decide where to stop for the night and couldn’t agree, so we kept passing by pretty country inns until finally it was dark, options were limited, and we were all tired and cranky. We agreed to stay at the very next place we came to that offered rooms, which turned out to be a rather dismal box of a building with very little charm. Just our luck! We went in and asked the woman who greeted us if we could possibly have a meal as well as a room. She told us to take a fifteen-minute walk, and then she would be ready. We stumbled around in the dark, hungry, weary, and not expecting much. When we returned to the house, we were greeted by a lovely platter of crudités, a country terrine with mustard and cornichons, sautéed river trout with lemon, and cauliflower that had been browned in butter. Needless to say, we were lucky after all! I’m sure there was dessert too, but the thing I dreamed about long after was the cauliflower. This preparation is still one of my favorite things to eat.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Blanch the cauliflower in a large pot of boiling salted water for about 2 minutes, then shock in ice water. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
Step 2
Heat 1/4 cup of water with 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When the water is simmering, add the cauliflower and lower the heat to medium-low. Toss or stir the cauliflower and cook gently for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then and adding a little water if the pan dries up. Add the rest of the butter and a sprinkle of water and keep cooking and stirring until the florets are evenly browned on all sides. Season with salt, as desired, and serve hot.
