Equipment
Ingredients
Vegetable
- 1 cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
Sauce
- 60 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 40 g sliced almonds, flaked or slivered
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Seasoning
- 3 g sea salt
- black pepper, freshly ground
- 5 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 208 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 11 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 342 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 32 mg
- Potassium
- 577 mg
- Calcium
- 69 mg
- Iron
- 1.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 53 mg
- Phosphorus
- 125 mg
- Zinc
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 108 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 81 mg
- Vitamin E
- 3.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 47 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.11 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.22 mg
- Niacin
- 1.2 mg
- Folate
- 100 mcg
- Water
- 157 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Fill a large pot with about 3cm (1 inch) of water and bring to a boil. Place the cauliflower florets in a steamer basket over the water, ensuring the water does not touch the vegetable.
Cover the pot and steam the cauliflower until tender-crisp. A knife should slide in with slight resistance. Avoid overcooking to mush.
While cauliflower steams, place the butter in a light-colored skillet over medium heat. Once melted and foaming, add the sliced almonds.
Swirl the pan constantly. Cook until the milk solids turn a golden hazelnut brown and the almonds are toasted. Remove from heat immediately once the aroma becomes nutty.
Immediately stir in the lemon juice and salt to stop the cooking process (be careful, it may sputter). Add the steamed cauliflower to the pan and toss gently to coat in the brown butter and almonds.
Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with black pepper and fresh parsley if using. Serve immediately while warm.
Chef's Notes
- Cut the cauliflower into uniform sizes to ensure even steaming.
- Beurre noisette (brown butter) moves from perfect to burnt in seconds. Have your lemon juice measured and ready near the stove to arrest the cooking immediately.
- If you want extra crunch, you can toast the almonds in a dry pan first, set them aside, and add them back to the finished brown butter, but cooking them in the butter infuses the fat with almond flavor.
- Ensure the cauliflower is well-drained after steaming so it doesn't water down the rich butter sauce.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. Butter may solidify; reheat gently.
Reheating: Warm gently in a skillet over low heat until butter melts and cauliflower is heated through.
Troubleshooting
Butter tastes acrid or burnt with black specks
Cause: The milk solids burned because the heat was too high or it was left on the stove too long
Fix: Cannot be fixed. Discard and start the butter sauce again (it is the primary flavor)
Prevention: Remove pan from heat the moment you smell a nutty aroma and see golden brown color; residual heat continues cooking
Cultural Context
This dish draws from the French technique 'à l'Amandine' (garnished with almonds), typically associated with trout or green beans. Applying this classic sauce to cauliflower elevates a humble brassica into an elegant side dish suitable for festive autumn tables.
