Transform cauliflower with simple technique: Roasted with fried caper vinaigrette

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/12/2011 (5098 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Roasting has the power to transform just about any food, but this effortless cooking technique is most dramatic when applied to winter vegetables.

This is one reason that I’m the person at the table who immediately looks at the side dishes (not dessert!) when I am handed a restaurant menu. If they have roasted vegetables, I have to order them.

These days, well-roasted brussels sprouts and cauliflower are my favourites. But the same technique can be applied to any hard, dense vegetable — sweet potatoes, beets, fennel, whole shallots, carrots, acorn and butternut squash. Even baking potatoes and broccoli are elevated by this technique.

This dish is delicious and healthy, to boot. I roast one to two whole heads of cauliflower until caramelized, then drizzle on an aromatic vinaigrette of capers, shallots and garlic.

The vinaigrette is good when all the ingredients are raw, but when you flash-fry them they become sweet and caramelized and match the tenor of the roasted vegetables. I love the combination of the crispy, yet tender and deeply roasted cauliflower contrasted by the clean, tangy vinegar and Dijon mustard in the vinaigrette.

Roasting transforms cauliflower from something that is difficult to eat to something that you can’t get enough of. I liken it to popcorn because it can be similarly addictive. It is almost a magic trick to see how quickly this dish disappears, especially with people who wouldn’t touch raw or steamed cauliflower.

Roasted Cauliflower Florets

Start to finish: 45 minutes

2 heads cauliflower (about 2 kg/4 1/2 lb)

30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil, or more if needed

10 ml (2 tsp) kosher salt, or more to taste

Fried caper vinaigrette (recipe below)

Minced country ham for garnish (optional)

Heat oven to 200 C (400 F). Set a wire rack over a baking sheet.

Wash and trim both heads of cauliflower, cutting out and discarding core and cutting top into large florets. Place florets in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil, then toss (you may need to do this in 2 batches) until all the surfaces of the cauliflower are coated with a thin film of oil. Sprinkle with salt and toss again to distribute evenly.

Place florets on prepared rack. Roast for 30 minutes. Use tongs to turn florets, then roast for another 15 to 20 minutes or until deeply caramelized.

Return florets to the bowl and, while still hot, drizzle and toss with a little of the fried caper vinaigrette (recipe follows). Add just enough of the vinaigrette to lightly coat. Transfer florets to a serving platter, then sprinkle with minced country ham, if using.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition information per serving (calculated using a quarter of the vinaigrette recipe) (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 130 calories; 70 calories from fat (47 per cent of total calories); 7 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein; 6 g fibre; 570 mg sodium.

———

Fried Caper Vinaigrette

Don’t feel like frying the capers, shallots and garlic? Give them a rough chop, then add them raw to the vinaigrette. Salt-cured capers should always be rinsed with cold water, then dried with paper towels before being used. This recipe makes plenty. You’ll need about a quarter of it for the cauliflower. The rest can be refrigerated and used on salads.

Start to finish: 10 minutes active, plus cooling

150 ml (2/3 cup) olive oil, divided

15 ml (1 tbsp) salt-cured capers, rinsed and chopped

30 ml (2 tbsp) chopped shallots

5 ml (1 tsp) grated garlic (about 2 cloves)

75 ml (1/3 cup) red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

5 ml (1 tsp) whole-grain Dijon mustard

Pinch sea salt and ground black pepper

In a medium saute pan over medium, heat 50 ml (1/4 cup) of the oil. Add capers, shallots and garlic, then cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 4 minutes, or until just starting to brown but the oil is still clear. Transfer to a medium bowl, including all of the cooking oil, and set aside to cool.

Once mixture has cooled, add vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. While whisking, drizzle in remaining oil. Whisk until thoroughly blended. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if necessary, and use immediately or refrigerate in a tightly sealed container for up to 2 days.

Makes 250 ml (1 cup).

———

Elizabeth Karmel is a grilling and Southern foods expert and executive chef at Hill Country Barbecue Market restaurants in New York and Washington, as well as Hill Country Chicken in New York. She is the author of three cookbooks, including “Soaked, Slathered and Seasoned.”