I cook cauliflower many ways and my family loves them all (certainly I do). But if some in your family don’t like the distinctive, “sulfur” quality in cooked cauliflower, try this skillet method. It eliminates the sulfur taste and produces a cauliflower floret that’s entirely different from a boiled one—crispy on the edges, and almost coated with a sweet caramelization. It’s delicious by itself but even better with the lively contrast of Garden Tomato Elixir.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6 to 8 as a side dish

　　1 large cauliflower (1 1/2 to 2 pounds untrimmed, with leaves and stem)

　　1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

　　4 plump garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

　　1/4 teaspoon dried peperoncino (hot red pepper flakes)

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　

For Serving

1 cup or more Garden Tomato Elixir (recipe follows): infused with basil and garlic, at room temperature (optional)

　　

Recommended Equipment

A large skillet or sauté pan with a tight-fitting cover

　　

Garden Tomato Elixir

1 1/2 pounds very ripe and juicy summer tomatoes

　　1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

　　3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil—the best you have!

　　4 plump whole garlic cloves, peeled

　　6 large fresh basil leaves

　　A pinch of dried peperoncino (hot red pepper flakes) (optional)

　　A squeeze of fresh lemon juice (optional)

　　

Step 1

Tear or cut off all the outer leaves attached to the base of the cauliflower, then cut out the bottom core.

　　

Step 2

Separate the head into big florets, snapping them apart or slicing them from the inner stem. Now cut the big florets into 1-inch chunks or thick slices (don’t break up the clusters of tiny florets) so you have 6 cups or more of roughly equal-sized cauliflower pieces.

　　

Step 3

Put the olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan (one that has a cover) and set over medium-low heat. Scatter the garlic slices and peperoncino in the oil, and pile in all the cauliflower. Sprinkle the salt all over the florets, give the pan a few good shakes, and cover.

　　

Step 4

Let the cauliflower “sweat,” giving the pan an occasional shake, for about 4 minutes. Then remove the cover and toss everything together well, by jerking the pan (like chefs do) or just turning the vegetables with a spoon. Cover, cook another 3 minutes, then toss well again. By this time, the edges of some of the cauliflower pieces should have started to brown. If not, turn the heat up just a bit.

　　

Step 5

Cover the pan again, and let the cauliflower continue to caramelize slowly, tossing the pieces every few minutes, until they are tender, fragrant, and beautifully browned—12 to 15 minutes in the pan in all.

　　

Step 6

To serve, spread a cup or more of tomato “elixir” to cover the bottom of a serving platter. Pile the warm cauliflower in the middle of the red pool—make sure all the colors are showing—and spoon out serving portions, scooping up sauce and vegetables together.

　　

Garden Tomato Elixir

Step 7

Have a couple of mixing bowls handy, and place a sturdy wire sieve (with small but not tiny holes) in one of them. Rinse the tomatoes if necessary; cut out the cores and any other hard parts.

　　

Step 8

Following the instructions for preparing tomatoes on page 261, peel the tomatoes, slice them in half, and squeeze out the seeds. You should collect all the skins and seeds in the sieve, all the juices in the bowl underneath it, and all the crushed tomato pulp in the second bowl.

　　

Step 9

After you have pressed the seeds and skins to extract their juice, dump out the residue and rinse the sieve. Now put the crushed pulp in the sieve and push and scrape it all vigorously, forming a purée that drops into the juice.

　　

Step 10

(Here’s a quicker procedure, if you prefer: Core and trim the tomatoes but don’t peel them. Cut them into quarters, or smaller pieces, and drop into the sieve. Press and rub the tomatoes—skins, seeds, and all—until the scrapings are as dry as you can get them. It’s faster, but you won’t get quite as much purée this way.)

　　

Step 11

With a wire whisk, blend the puréed pulp and juice, adding the 1/4 teaspoon salt. Now drizzle in your best olive oil, a tablespoon at a time, whisking steadily, as the oil emulsifies. Taste and add more salt if you like.

　　

Step 12

Smash the peeled garlic cloves under the big blade of a chef’s knife; drop them into the emulsion. Crumple up each basil leaf in your fingers to release the oils and drop them in as well. If you like a bit of heat, add a pinch of peperoncino.

　　

Step 13

Cover the bowl, give the garlic and basil 2 to 3 hours to infuse the tomato, at room temperature, then scoop out the cloves and leaves and discard. Whisk up the “elixir,” add salt or drops of lemon juice to taste, and enjoy.

　　

Step 14

Serve at room temperature as a vegetable sauce, then keep it in the refrigerator.

　　

Good With . . .

Step 15

Braised endive

　　

Step 16

Pan-sautéed peppers and/or eggplant

　　

Step 17

Sautéed or boiled zucchini

　　From Lidia's Family table by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Copyright (c) 2004 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Published by Knopf.Lidia Bastianich hosts the hugely popular PBS show, "Lidia's Italian-American kitchen" and owns restaurants in New York City, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh. Also the author of Lidia's Italian Table and Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen, she lives in Douglaston, New York. Jay Jacob's journalism has appeared in many national magazines.From the Trade Paperback edition.