This little sauté is meant to be a topping for a Puffy Oven Pancake, a filling for tacos or burritos, or an addition to warm rice or grain dishes. But it also certainly makes a fine side dish for two people. You can double the recipe if you use a 12-inch skillet. We've found that covering the cauliflower, at least during a majority of the cooking time, ensures that it cooks through and browns at the same time. But keep an eye on the heat; if it is too low the cauliflower will just steam without browning. If you think your cauliflower are tender but not browned enough, remove the cover and turn up the heat a bit.
Makes enough filling for one Puffy Oven Pancake or serves 2 as a side dish or taco filling
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or olive oil
4 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 large shallots, cut into rings (about ½ cup)
Kosher salt
2 cups very small cauliflower florets
1 lime wedge
Roughly chopped cilantro (optional)
Greek yogurt (optional)
1. In a small bowl, combine the cumin, coriander, ginger and paprika.
2. In a medium skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil and 2 teaspoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and a good pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally and then more frequently as the shallots begin to brown, until they are all softened and browned in places, about 6 to 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon or a fork, transfer the shallots to a paper towel-lined plate.
3. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil and one more teaspoon of butter to the pan. When the butter has melted, add the cauliflower and season with ½ teaspoon salt. Stir and cover the pan. Cook, uncovering to stir occasionally, until the cauliflower is tender and all of it has bits of browning on it, about 7 to 9 minutes.
4. Push the cauliflower to one side, add the last teaspoon of butter, and let it melt. Add the spices to the melted butter and stir to moisten them thoroughly. Stir the spices and the cauliflower together. Add the shallots back to the pan and stir to combine all and to make sure the spices are evenly distributed. Remove the pan from the heat.
5. Serve with a squeeze of lime, cilantro, and yogurt, depending on whether you’re eating as a side dish or using as a filling or topping.
