Ina Garten Carrot & Cauliflower Purée

Ina Garten carrot & cauliflower purée is a silky vegetable side dish with tender cauliflower, sweet carrots and nutty browned butter that comes together in 55 minutes. This make-ahead side dish with few ingredients fits Thanksgiving, Sunday dinner, Christmas and holiday tables.

Brown the butter until the milk solids turn golden and smell nutty, and watch the pan the whole time. Walk away and it burns black within seconds, which leaves the whole purée bitter.

Ina Garten first tasted a simple carrot purée at a favorite Paris restaurant and asked the waiter what made it so good. He told her the secret was beurre noisette, or browned butter, and she built this Make It Ahead (2014) recipe around it.

Source: Make It Ahead (2014)

Ina Garten Carrot and Cauliflower Purée

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Course: Side DishCuisine: American, FrenchDifficulty: Easy

Servings

5

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Calories

250

kcal

Cauliflower and carrots boil until very soft, then pass through a food mill for a smooth, velvety texture. Whisking in nutty browned butter at the end gives the purée its deep, toasty flavor.

Ingredients

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  

• 1 medium head cauliflower, core removed, and cut into florets
  

• 1 1/2 pounds carrots, unpeeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (see note)
  

• 4 ounces good salted butter, such as Président
  

Directions

• Boil the cauliflower: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add 2 tablespoons of salt and the cauliflower florets. Boil for 20 minutes until very tender, then lift them out into a bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Cook the carrots: Add the 1 1/2 pounds of carrots to the same boiling water and cook for another 20 minutes until very tender. Drain them and add them to the cauliflower, since cooking the light-colored vegetable first keeps its color clean.
• Mill the vegetables: Set a food mill fitted with the medium disk over a large saucepan. Then process the cauliflower and carrots into the pan until you have a smooth purée.
• Brown the butter: While the vegetables cook, melt the 4 ounces of butter in a small 8-inch sauté pan over medium-low heat. Cook until the milk solids turn golden brown, watching closely because it goes from brown to black very quickly.
• Season the purée: Whisk the browned butter, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper into the vegetable purée. Then taste for seasoning and adjust if it needs more.
• Reheat and serve: Warm the purée over low heat, stirring now and then so it heats evenly. Serve it hot, with a little extra pepper on top if you like.

Tools for this recipe

• OXO stainless steel food mill, Lodge 6-quart enameled Dutch oven, OXO stainless slotted spoon, Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 3 lb. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make carrot and cauliflower purée ahead of time?

Yes, it is made for that. Prepare it completely and refrigerate it for up to 4 days, then reheat it over low heat on the stovetop, stirring as it warms.

What kind of carrots work best for this purée?

Ina Garten likes "topped" carrots, the ones sold with the greens still attached. They are fresher and sweeter, which matters in a dish where the carrots are the main flavor.

Can I use a blender or food processor instead of a food mill?

A food processor will work if you don't own a food mill, though the texture comes out a little different. Process in batches and stop while it still has some body, because over-blending can make it gluey.

Why does the butter need to be browned?

Browning the butter toasts the milk solids and adds a nutty depth that plain melted butter can't give. It is the one ingredient that turns a simple vegetable purée into something with an elusive, restaurant-style flavor.

What is the most common mistake with this recipe?

Burning the butter is the big one, since it turns from golden to black very quickly. Stay at the stove, pull the pan off the heat as soon as the solids turn golden brown, and keep the heat at medium-low.