Cauliflower Panna Cotta with Beluga Caviar

I was hoping to make a cold lobster-cauliflower soup—cauliflower purée on the bottom with a clear “mirror” of lobster consommé on top, finished with caviar—but the cream in the cauliflower purée clouded the consommé. The dish’s failure resulted in two terrific canapés: cauliflower panna cotta and gelled lobster consommé.

We prepare the cauliflower as a panna cotta (traditionally an Italian dessert of cooked cream), then coat it with gelled oyster juice, which adds a shine to the cre