Cutting up a Cauliflower.

I wondered as I was cutting up a cauliflower whether it had always been easy for me and at what point did I figure out how it is done and the easiest way to do it. I couldn't remember, but I do know that having pointers always makes things easier, so here is another entry along the lines of the pineapple instruction last year. 

The cauliflower can seem like an impenetrable dome but there is an easy way to cut it up the way it is meant to come apart leaving you with ready to use florets. Turn it upside down, sitting on the white part with the leaves and stem facing you. Take a large knife and cut the leaves off working your around the stem and then down it. 

Once the first really bit tough ones are out the way I find that using a smaller knife makes the work easier from there on in. Before switching to a small knife use the large one to cut away the stem. I angle the tip of my knife into the centre and cut into it from different sides so eventually it just snaps out when I push it. Or just use your small knife and cut as best you can. You can cook cauliflowers as a whole, you will want as much of the core removed so as to make cooking from within easier. They make pretty dishes if you cover them in cheese sauce or a cheese crust and serve it from whole. 

Continuing with the cutting up, you want as much of the stem and core removed as you can, until you can see the neat stems of the florets (naturally formed sections of the cauliflower, mini trees!). Using your small knife cut off each floret working your way around the stem again. You will find that all the florets near the bottom are perfectly formed, large pieces, with a large stem and neat cap. See below. These are the pieces you would use if you were steaming cauliflower or making a cauliflower cheese and wanted the nice little dome shapes. 

The very crown of the cauliflower is not segmented so well, and has lots of tiny florets all joined at the same stem, so if you are making a large dish you just need to cut them up as best you can into similar sized florets yourself. 

I was cutting the cauliflower up to use in a vegetable curry. I put the large florets into a bag and back in the fridge for a cauliflower cheese dish later this week and used the smaller, less well formed florets for the curry as I wanted them fairly small anyway. Smaller sized pieces are also good for soups and stir fries.

Eventually you will just be left with a core and stubs of stems once you have removed all the florets.

The difference in size between the natural, large florets and the smaller crown pieces is considerable. However, at the end of the day, cut it up how you want to, you can make the small bits large by cutting them lower down the stem and having them still held together, you can also cut the large florets into smaller pieces by dissecting the stems within it. 

Once you have the cauliflower cut up you will be amazed how much more there seems to be than when it was all nicely domed together.  Sometimes I cut off a few florets at a time and put the whole cauliflower back in the fridge until I need it again, or I get all the work done in one go and cut it all up and put it back in the fridge in a bag ready to use. Depends on the efficiency I am feeling, and sometimes a time factor. Happy carving!

Read the next entry to see how the cauliflower florets turned out in my vegetable curry!