How to cut cauliflower for roasting

Arguably the most arduous task of making roasted cauliflower is turning a head of cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Unlike broccoli, which has a long stalk that makes seeing the structure of its head easy enough to dismantle, cauliflower’s florets circle a tight, dense core.

Remove the leaves: But don’t throw the cauliflower leaves away! You can roast them too!

Remove the core: Two options here. You can remove the core by cutting around it and pulling it out, and then cut it into quarters. Or you can quarter the head through the core from the very beginning, allowing you to see exactly where to cut to remove the core.

Remove the florets: From there, you’ll have four large wedges of cauliflower to cut florets from. Lay each wedge on one of its flat sides and cut between the stem and the florets to release them. Cauliflower tends to be pretty tightly packed, so you’ll need to pull apart some of the florets by hand. Halve any cauliflower florets that are larger than two inches for more even roasting and easier eating.

Chop the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces: Cut the head of cauliflower in half and then into quarters through the core, so you have 4 large wedges of cauliflower. Lay each wedge on one of its flat sides and cut between the core and the florets to release the florets. The cauliflower is pretty tightly packed, so you’ll need to pull apart some of the florets by hand. Repeat with the remaining 3 wedges. Halve any cauliflower florets that are larger than 2 inches.

Roasted Cauliflower

Serves 4 to 6

1 medium head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), leaves removed

1 tablespoon oil, such as olive, canola, or vegetable

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