Equipment
Ingredients
Vegetable Base
- 1 cauliflower, cut into medium florets
Amandine Finish
- 60 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 40 g sliced almonds, raw, unblanched or blanched
- 15 ml fresh lemon juice
- flaky sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 216 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 12 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 353 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 32 mg
- Potassium
- 679 mg
- Calcium
- 75 mg
- Iron
- 1.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 58 mg
- Phosphorus
- 140 mg
- Zinc
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 103 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 98 mg
- Vitamin E
- 3.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 32 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.12 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.24 mg
- Niacin
- 1.4 mg
- Folate
- 120 mcg
- Water
- 191 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Trim the cauliflower head, removing the green leaves and tough core. Cut the head into even, bite-sized florets to ensure uniform cooking.
Fill a large pot with 3 to 5 centimeters of water and place a steamer basket inside. Bring the water to a boil over high heat (100°C/212°F). Add the cauliflower florets, cover, and steam until tender but not mushy, about 7 to 9 minutes.
While the cauliflower steams, place a light-colored skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced almonds and toast dry, tossing frequently, until fragrant and golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl immediately to prevent burning.
In the same skillet over medium-low heat, add the cubed butter. Allow it to melt, then foam. Swirl the pan occasionally. Once the foam subsides, the milk solids will begin to drop to the bottom and brown. Cook until the butter smells highly nutty and the solids are a deep toasted brown color, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat immediately and stir in the lemon juice if using.
Transfer the steamed cauliflower to a serving platter. Pour the hot brown butter evenly over the florets. Scatter the toasted almonds on top and finish with a generous pinch of flaky sea salt.
Chef's Notes
- Always use a light-colored or stainless steel pan when making brown butter. Dark nonstick pans make it almost impossible to see when the milk solids are perfectly toasted rather than burnt.
- Cutting the cauliflower into uniform pieces is crucial. If the sizes vary wildly, smaller florets will turn to mush before the larger ones are tender.
- The residual heat of the pan will continue to cook the butter even after you take it off the stove. Adding the lemon juice or immediately pouring it over the cauliflower stops the cooking process.
- If you want to prepare this in advance, you can steam the cauliflower and toast the almonds earlier in the day. Make the brown butter right before serving, gently warm the cauliflower in the butter, and serve.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. The butter will solidify when chilled.
Freezer: 1 month — Freezing is not recommended as the cauliflower can become mushy upon thawing, but it is safe.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a skillet or microwave until warmed through. The almonds will lose some crunch.
Troubleshooting
Brown butter has black specks and tastes bitter
Cause: The milk solids burned because the heat was too high or the pan was left on the burner for too long
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Use a light-colored pan to monitor the color change easily, and transfer the butter to a cool bowl the second it reaches an amber color
Cauliflower is falling apart or mushy
Cause: Over-steaming
Fix: Mash or puree the cauliflower entirely and fold in the brown butter and almonds for a rustic mash
Prevention: Check doneness at the 6-minute mark and ensure pieces are uniformly cut
Cultural Context
This preparation is inspired by the classic French Amandine style, an old culinary technique where a dish is garnished with almonds and usually cooked or finished in butter. While most commonly associated with Trout Amandine or Green Beans Amandine, applying this rich, nutty profile elevates a humble vegetable like cauliflower into an elegant, complex-tasting autumnal side dish.
