Mastering cauliflower: Cooking tips for optimal flavour and nutrition

Inspecting cauliflower's appearance before buying is crucial. Select vegetables free of brown marks, with fresh, crisp leaves indicating freshness. Once you've chosen your cauliflower, start by separating it into florets. This will help speed up the cooking process.

Next, bring water to a boil in a pot, adding about 2 teaspoons of salt. A pinch of baking soda keeps the cauliflower bright white.

Immerse the florets as the water reaches a rolling boil. After about 12 minutes, they should be perfectly cooked.

Despite its popularity, some are put off by the smell cauliflower emits while cooking due to its sulfur compounds. A simple fix is adding the juice of one lemon to the boiling water, which neutralises the odour and enhances the vegetable's taste.