Cauliflower Purée

The goal was a Keto version of mashed potatoes but the result was something new: a silky smooth purée that stands alone and supports butter and gravy toppings, or can be used as a bed for pork chops or steak that holds butter and pan sauce beautifully. If you want potato texture that you can sink your teeth into, see Potatoes for other options.

This purée should be a standard part of your tool kit. Also it freezes incredibly well.

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower
• 1 whole head garlic, to round out cauliflower's sulfur notes. If you'd like it to actually taste like garlic, add another head.
• 1 medium onion, to add background sweetness and depth.
• 2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 1 cup water (or enough to come ~¾ up vegetables)
• 1 tablespoon lard (or butter, bacon fat, or tallow)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Up to 4 tablespoons cream cheese
• Up to 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1–3 tablespoons heavy cream (only if needed)
• ⅛–¼ cup shredded mozzarella (optional)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch ground nutmeg

Method

It's convenient if you have both an oven and an air fryer or some such to reduce time.

Roasting the Garlic

1. Preheat oven or air fryer to 400°F.
2. Slice the top from the garlic head.
3. Drizzle lightly with oil and a pinch of salt.
4. Wrap in foil and roast at 400°F for 40–50 minutes until soft.

Drying the Cauliflower

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Trim cauliflower, cut into medium florets, peel and slice thick stems.
3. Quarter the onion.
4. Add cauliflower, onion, stock, water, lard, and 1 teaspoon salt to a wide pot.
5. Bring to a boil, reduce immediately to a gentle simmer, and cook uncovered until collapsing-tender, 15–25 minutes.
6. Drain vegetables thoroughly and spread onto a parchment-lined sheet pan.
7. Roast at 425°F until surface moisture evaporates and edges show slight color, 10–20 minutes. Don't skimp on this, moisture is a killer!

Puréeing the Cauliflower

1. Run hot cauliflower and onion through a potato ricer, wiping away fibrous strands. While technically optional, this is the only way I've found to reliably get a smooth purée.
2. Transfer riced mixture to a saucepan over low heat and add butter and roasted garlic cloves.
3. Warm gently until butter melts.
4. Blend until very smooth using a blender. This is a critical step -- don't stop until there's not the tiniest lump anywhere!

Seasoning the Cauliflower

This is also critical. Incrementally add each of these and continually taste for flavor and texture. If you just dump everything in, you may overdo it and get a soup.

1. Add cream cheese incrementally, blending and tasting between additions.
2. Add sour cream incrementally, blending and tasting between additions.
3. If you want firmer texture, add mozzarella in small amounts.
4. Add heavy cream only if needed to loosen texture.
5. Season with black pepper and nutmeg and adjust salt.
6. Rest off heat 10–15 minutes before serving.

Storage

• Refrigeration: Store tightly covered up to 4 days.
• Freezing: Freeze in a convenient shape; freezer containers like Souper Cubes are perfect for this.
• Reheating: Warm gently on stove top or bake at 325–350°F. From frozen, sous-vide at 135°F until thawed and warm.