To make the cauliflower purée, place the cauliflower, shallots, garlic, butter and white pepper into a medium pot. Then, pour in just enough stock to cover the ingredients.

Bring the mixture up to a gentle boil. Then, turn down the heat and let simmer for approximately 10 minutes, or just until the cauliflower is cooked through.

Once done, remove the solids and place them into a high-speed blender. Add just enough of the cooking liquid to cover the ingredients. Carefully blend until smooth—adding more cooking liquid as needed. You just don’t want the mixture to be too thin. You can always thin it out later, if needed.

Set the purée aside while you prepare the rest of your mise en place.

To prepare the cauliflower florets, using a knife, cut around the outer edge of the cauliflower, removing just the smaller outside florets. The florets should be quite small.

To prepare the cauliflower ‘rice’, place the cauliflower into a food processor and pulse until you reach a “rice-like” texture.

Next, mince the shallots and brunoise (small dice) the zucchini and carrots. Lastly, gather the cauliflower purée and stock.

To cook the risotto, heat a large fry pan over medium-low heat and add the oil. Then, add the shallots and sweat until they are cooked through and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Alternatively, dry-sauté the shallots.

Next, add the vermouth and let reduce and evaporate. Then, add the florets and carrots and cook for a 3 or 4 minutes, or until they just start to soften and cook through. At this point, add the zucchini, cauliflower ‘rice’ and cauliflower purée. Let cook for a minute or two to heat through. If needed, adjust the thickness by adding a bit more cauliflower purée or stock. Lastly, taste for seasoning and add salt as needed.

To serve the risotto, ladle the mixture onto a plate and shake to flatten it out slightly.

Garnish with fresh ground black pepper and fresh basil, if desired. Serve immediately.