Cauliflower Soufflé with Brown Butter

Don't be frightened by the word soufflé. This subtly sophisticated dish isn't difficult at all (just be careful not to overbeat the egg whites).

Soufflé:
3 Tbsp. Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
1¼ cups cauliflower florets, finely chopped
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
white pepper, freshly cracked
½ stick unsalted butter
4½ Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached
1½ cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
8 large egg whites

Brown Butter:
1 stick salted butter

For the Soufflé:
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C, Gas Mark 6). Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Generously butter soufflé dish, then sprinkle with Parmesan, knocking out excess.

Stir together cauliflower, parsley, ¼ tsp. salt, and white pepper to taste in a large bowl.

Melt butter in a 2-3 qt heavy saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, then cook, whisking, until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Add milk a little at a time, whisking constantly until very smooth. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking, then simmer, whisking, until quite thick, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in yolks, ¼ tsp. white pepper, and ½ tsp. salt. Stir into cauliflower mixture.

Beat whites in a bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until they just hold stiff peaks (they should not look dry). Stir a heaping spoonful of whites into yolk mixture to lighten, then gently fold in remaining whites until just combined.

Gently spoon into soufflédish (leave at least 1" of space at top) and bake until golden brown and top appears set, 35-40 minutes.

For the Brown Butter:
Cook butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it turns golden with a nutlike fragrance and flecks on bottom of pan turn a rich caramel brown, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat.

Serve soufflé immediately, drizzling with warm brown butter.

Makes 4 main or 6 side servings.