Creamy cauliflower soup without cream

Spicy Brussels sprouts, kimchi dressing

FThis April 2017 photo shows spicy Brussels sprouts. (AP)

By America’s Test Kitchen

or a creamy cauliflower soup without cream, we relied on cauliflower’s low insoluble fiber content to produce a velvety smooth puree.

To ensure that cauliflower flavor remained at the forefront, we cooked the cauliflower in seasoned water (instead of broth), skipped the spice rack entirely, and bolstered the soup with sauteed onion and leek.

We added the cauliflower to the simmering water in two stages so that we got the grassy flavor of justcooked cauliflower and the sweeter, nuttier flavor of long-cooked cauliflower. Finally, we fried florets in butter until both browned and used each as a separate, richly flavored garnish.

Creamy cauliflower soup

Servings: 4-6 Start to finish: 1 hour 30 minutes

1 head cauliflower (2 pounds); 8 tbs unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces; 1 leek, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin, and washed thoroughly; 1 small onion, halved and sliced thin; salt and pepper; 4-1/2-5 cups water; 1/2 tsp vinegar; 3 tbs minced fresh chives

Pull off outer leaves of cauliflower and trim stem. Using paring knife, cut around core to remove; slice core thin and reserve. Cut heaping 1 cup of 1/2-inch florets from head of cauliflower; set aside. Cut remaining cauliflower crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leek, onion, and 1-1/2 teaspoons salt. Cook, stirring often, until leek and onion are softened but not browned, about 7 minutes.

Add 4 -1/2 cups water, sliced core, and half of sliced cauliflower. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add remaining sliced cauliflower and simmer until cauliflower is tender and crumbles easily, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt remaining 5 tablespoons butter in 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Add reserved florets and cook, stirring often, until florets are golden brown and butter is browned and has nutty aroma, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and use slotted spoon to transfer florets to small bowl. Toss florets with vinegar and season with salt to taste. Pour browned butter in skillet into separate bowl and reserve for garnishing.

Process soup in blender until smooth, about 45 seconds. Return pureed soup to clean pot, bring to brief simmer over medium heat, and adjust consistency with remaining water as needed (soup should have thick, velvety texture but should be thin enough to settle with flat surface after being stirred). Season with salt to taste.

Serve, garnishing individual bowls with browned florets, drizzle of browned butter, chives, and pepper.

A couple of years ago a neighbor of mine noticed that I called for gochujang, a Korean hot paste, in a recipe on my blog. She was excited that an ingredient she had grown up with was making its way into recipes in more mainstream American outlets, getting its deserved recognition in the spicy-ingredient pantheon. She even delivered a big jar of gochujang to my door so I could continue playing with it. And I have. A lot. Gochujang is traditionally made with chili peppers, fermented soybeans, brown sugar, glutinous rice and salt — but that may not make your mouth water. Think of spicy, a hint of sweetness, and a bit of umami (thanks to the fermentation) smooched up together.

Umami is commonly talked about as the fifth taste, in conjunction with salty, sour, sweet and bitter. Its simplest definition is “savory,” and to think about what that means, think about how your taste buds respond when you are eating foods such as mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, soy sauce, anchovies, miso, meat or a rich soup.

Sometimes the taste of umami is actually described as meaty or brothy. The word umami is derived from the Japanese word “umai” meaning “deliciousness.”

The fish sauce, made with

This undated photo provided by America’s Test Kitchen in October 2018

shows scalloped potatoes in Brookline, Mass. (AP)

fermented anchovies, adds to the whole umami thing as well. Both gochujang and fish sauce are available in Asian markets and wellstocked supermarkets, and both are readily available online. If you don’t have gochujang, you can substitute other hot sauces and add a hefty pinch of brown sugar. And if you don’t have fish sauce, soy sauce will do in a pinch (different, but still delicious).

Hey, listen, I’m aware that many people reading all of this might think, “Whaaaaat?” For many Western cooks, words like “fermented anchovies” don’t spark joy in our hearts. But boy, if you like foods like a great Caesar salad or a spicy ramen soup, then take a little chance and give this dish and these ingredients a go. And by all means, let me know what you think — my neighbor and I want to know.

Spicy roasted Brussels sprouts

with kimchi dressing.

Servings: 6 Start to finish: 30 minutes

2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved; 2 tbs olive oil; 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 1/4 cup fish sauce; 2 tbs sugar; 3 cloves garlic, chopped; 2 tbs peeled, chopped fresh ginger; 2 tbs gochujang paste (spicy Korean paste); 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes; 6 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced (white and green parts); 1/2 cup minced red onion

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Place the Brussels sprouts together on the baking sheet, drizzle the olive oil over them, sprinkle with salt and toss. Spread the Brussels sprouts out on the sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, until they are just tender and browned in spots.

Meanwhile, place the fish sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger and gochujang paste in a food processor and process to combine. Turn the mixture into a large bowl and stir in the chili flakes, scallions and red onion.

Add the cooked Brussels sprouts to the bowl and toss so they are well-coated with the dressing. Serve warm.

In our experience, most recipes for scalloped potatoes take hours of work yet still produce unevenly cooked potatoes in a heavy, curdled sauce. This version is faster than most and produces layer upon layer of thinly sliced, tender potatoes, creamy sauce, and nicely browned, cheesy crust.

Simmering the potatoes briefly in heavy cream thinned out with milk before moving the production into a baking dish cut the cooking time significantly while also eliminating the risk of raw potatoes in the finished dish.

A sprinkling of cheddar cheese and a mere 20 minutes in the oven were enough to produce an appealingly browned, cheesy crust. Russet potatoes, thinly sliced, gave us neat layers with the best texture and flavor. For the fastest and most consistent results, slice the potatoes in a food processor.

Scalloped potatoes

Servings: 8-10 Start to finish: 1 hour

2 tbs unsalted butter 1 small onion, chopped fine; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices; 3 cups heavy cream; 1 cup whole milk; 4 sprigs fresh thyme; 2 bay leaves; 2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp pepper; 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

Heat oven to 350 F. Melt butter in large Dutch oven over mediumhigh heat. Add onion and saute until it turns soft and begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add potatoes, cream, milk, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, salt, and pepper and bring to simmer. Cover, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain light simmer, and cook until potatoes are almost tender (paring knife can be slipped into and out of center of potato slice with some resistance), about 15 minutes.

Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Transfer potato mixture to 3-quart baking dish and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cream has thickened and is bubbling around sides and top is golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. (AP)