Cauliflower Puree with fried shallots, sage and truffle oil

My husband loves grilling filet steaks.  Often times, he asks that I make a potato dish to go as a side.  This time I decided to change it up given we are both watching our carb intake (which seems to be a huge portion of our diet lately).  Mashed or pureed cauliflower is a great substitute for mashed potatoes.  It's low in carbohydrates and high in nutrients.  (and makes a great vegetable dish for babies)

This version of Cauliflower puree incorporates sweet caramelised shallot, crispy and woody sage with a glorious aroma and flavor of truffles.  The combination is exquisite!

Makes:  4 servings

Ingredients

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 1/2 cups of shallots sliced very thin
1/2 cup fresh sage leaves sliced very thin
olive oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon truffle oil (or truffle olive oil)
salt
pepper

Directions

1.  Heat a large frying pan with olive oil.   Add shallot and brown sugar and stir occasionally.  Once the shallots start to turn brown and caramelise.   Remove from pan and set aside in a small bowl.
2.  Using the same frying pan and a little more olive oil, add sage leaves.  Fry leaves until they start to change darker in colour.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from pan and set aside in another small bowl.
3.  Place cauliflower florets into large sauce pan with cold water (covering most of the florets).  Place sauce pan on high heat.  Bring the cauliflower to a boil.
4.  Turn down heat and let the cauliflower simmer until very tender, about 10-12 minutes.
5.  Remove from heat and place cauliflower in a bowl with about 1/2 cup of hot/boiling water from sauce pan.  Using a flood processor or hand blender, blend the cauliflower until it resembles mashed potatoes. Stir in truffle oil and salt to taste.
6.  Spoon cauliflower in a serving dish and top with fried shallots and sage leaves.