Cauliflower Cocktail

By the name of this post, it should be obvious what this recipe is, but most likely it won't be for everyone. Cauliflower Cocktail is vegetarian Shrimp Cocktail. My mom did this a few times a long time ago and I decided to try to look for ways to share it with all of you.

Cauliflower can take on many different flavors or textures, depending on how you prepare it. If you blanch cauliflower, it sort of takes on the texture of cooked shrimp. The flavor of cauliflower (albeit subtle) is not the same as shrimp (and it smells much better). You can use whatever sauces you want, to help add to the flavors to your cauliflower.

In this recipe, you'll merely find the instructions for blanching the cauliflower.  I found that the best way to coat the cauliflower with the cocktail sauce was to put it in an airtight container and gently shake it around. This is how many restaurants coat wings with their various sauces.

Cauliflower Cocktail

1 head of cauliflower

Cocktail Sauce

Using a sharp knife, remove any outer wrapping and leaves of the cauliflower. With your hands, pull away the large florets of cauliflower from the head. Trim away any large pieces of core and cut the florets into medium size but approximately equal sized pieces. Rinse well under fresh running water.

Fill a pot large enough to hold the cauliflower florets 2/3 full of fresh water and set it on the stove on high heat to boil. Add some salt to the water, so that it tastes salty. While the pot is starting to boil, fill a large bowl with ice and water. Ensure the bowl is large enough to hold the ice, water and cauliflower.

Once the water has begun to boil, quickly submerge the cauliflower into the boiling water. Cover immediately with a tight fitting lid. Begin timing and blanch the cauliflower for 3 minutes. Start timing when the cauliflower is all in the pot, not when it begins to boil again.

When the 3 minutes are up, quickly drain the cauliflower and plunge it into the ice water. Allow it to sit in the ice bath until it is chilled to the touch. When chilled, drain it from the ice bath and put it on a paper towel to continue drying.

Toss the blanched cauliflower in a bowl with cocktail sauce and serve.  It will taste just like Shrimp Cocktail.

Remember to comment, share, and enjoy your Cauliflower!