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Recipe: Multicoloured autumn brassica purées
A delicious side dish from the latest culinary volume from the esteemed Ferrandi Paris cookery school
Multicoloured fall brassica purées
These three vegetable purées present a striking contrast of colours and flavours. To make them as flavourful as possible, be sure to include their stalks when cooking. After cooking each vegetable until tender, blend thoroughly for a toothsome texture. They are excellent as a side dish to accompany pan-seared scallops or roast leg of lamb.
Serves 6
PREPARATION TIME: 45 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 20 MINUTES
Equipment
Food processor
Ingredients
10½oz. (300g) cauliflower
10½oz. (300g) broccoli
10½oz. (300g) red cabbage
12tbsp (6oz./170g) unsalted butter, divided and chilled
Purple food colouring (optional)
Method
1. Cooking the vegetables: Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage. Cut the florets off the cauliflower and broccoli, keeping the stalks. Peel and dice the stalks. In separate pots of boiling salted water, cook the cauliflower and broccoli and their stalks until tender. Drain and set aside. Cut the cabbage into large pieces and cook it in a pot of unsalted boiling water until tender. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid.
2. Preparing the purées: Place the cauliflower florets and stalks in the food processor with 2 tbsp (1 oz./30 g) of the butter and blend until completely smooth. Transfer to a bowl and wash and dry the food processor bowl. Place the broccoli in the food processor with 5 tbsp (2½ oz./70 g) of the butter and blend until completely smooth. Transfer to a bowl and wash and dry the food processor bowl. Place the red cabbage in the food processor with the remaining butter and blend until completely smooth. In a small pot over high heat, reduce the red cabbage cooking liquid to a glaze and stir it into the red cabbage purée. If you wish, you can add a little purple food colouring for a more vibrant hue.
3. To serve: Serve the purées in separate bowls, alongside a main dish of your choice.
Extracted from The Complete French Cooking Course: Master Recipes and Techniques from the FERRANDI Paris School of Culinary Arts by FERRANDI Paris (Flammarion, 2026); Photography: Éric Fénot.
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