Cauliflower with Mustard-Sage Cornbread Crumbs

I like cauliflower, but I think we both know I made this more for the pretty colors. It's like my blog's logo in a dish, sprinkled with cornbread. Or maybe it's Mardi Gras on a fork. Take your pick. But it's not just eye catching, it's tasty too. I especially like the mustard with the cauliflower and that touch of sweetness from the cornbread. But if you don't love cauliflower, and I mean love it, don't even think about using all four colors (unless you have a family of twenty or are planning on eating the leftover raw cauliflower for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next five days).

CAULIFLOWER WITH MUSTARD-SAGE CORNBREAD CRUMBS

Makes 8 servings

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided

1 cup chopped shallots

9 cups 1 1/2-inch cauliflower florets (preferably a variety of colors)

1 1/4 cups low-salt chicken broth

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons plus 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

1 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread (homemade or purchased)

1.      Preheat oven to 375°F. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add shallots; sauté until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add cauliflower. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Add broth. Cover and steam until cauliflower is just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

2.      Using slotted spoon, transfer cauliflower to bowl. Add cream, 2 teaspoons mustard, 1 teaspoon sage, flour, and lemon zest to pot. Boil until sauce is thick, whisking, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Toss in cauliflower. Arrange cauliflower, stem side down, with sauce in 11 x 7 x 2-inch glass baking dish.

3.      Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Whisk in 1 1/2 tablespoons mustard and 1 tablespoon sage. Add cornbread crumbs; toss to coat. Spoon crumbs over cauliflower. Bake until topping is golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

barely adapted from Bon Appétit, December 2010

Come on, how could I resist? I'm only human.

I read up on these a little, just to make sure I wasn't
eating anything nasty. I'm happy to report, they're not
genetically engineered, just mutants (and very nutritious).

colorful cauliflower florets

I think mine were smaller than the recipe
called for, but I wasn't measuring.

sage and shallots

sauteing the shallots

cauliflower added

removing steamed cauliflower

The steam fogged up my lens a little, but if you look
closely, you might notice the broth turned purple.

adding the cream, mustard, sage, flour and lemon

If you look at about 9 o'clock on the photo,
you'll see a little more of the purple broth.

sauce thickening

cauliflower mixed with sauce

spread out in the dish

I didn't arrange the cauliflower stem side down
like the recipe suggests. I'm sure it's even more
beautiful that way, but I didn't have the time (my 
friends' Facebook posts aren't going to read themselves).

butter, mustard and sage

I made cornbread in my cast iron skillet.
It was good, but I didn't feel like it was the
cornbread of my dreams, so I didn't post
the recipe. They'll be others.

cornbread added

cornbread sprinkled on top

baked

Just look at all the pretty colors (it's cheaper than
taking a vacation to New England to see the fall foliage).

 .