Roasted Whole Cauliflower with Romesco
By now, most cooks I know are over the whole cauliflower craze and that includes the one where you roast the cauliflower whole. I am not over it. I fucking love cauliflower in any shape or form, but by far the best shape and form is beautiful, perfectly bronzed, tender, majestic and roasted whole. This delicious vegetable may be gilded further by placing it in a generous pool of Romesco, another trendy sauce that I have not tired of yet. Both are super easy, particularly if you have a good blender or food processor to make the Romesco. I am also going to take this opportunity to pitch one of my favorite knives to you. It is perfect for getting the core out of the cauliflower, plus a million other tasks in the kitchen. It is cheap and easy to get (here on Amazon), and I know you will fall in love with it too: the bird’s beak paring knife!
There are a million recipes for both of these dishes and I am still going to share mine with you. What I will tell you is that the last time I made this combo, I used a jar of piquillo peppers that I had hanging around and it elevated the Romesco to new heights. I loved this brand and it was perfect-not too spicy, deep pepper flavor and the most beauteous dark red color. I highly recommend subbing them in for regular roasted red peppers. If you get your cauliflower in the oven and make the sauce while it is cooking, this is a pretty hands-free situation. It is also gluten free, vegan and absolutely impressive to serve your friends and family. Cauliflower is perfection at this very moment, so run to the farmer’s market, get some and make this today!
Roasted Whole Cauliflower with Romesco
Serves a few hungry people as a side dish or two as a main course
Ingredients
1 large, perfect, beautiful cauliflower
Some decent cooking EVOO
Salt and pepper
2 cloves of garlic
3/4 cup of almonds, toasted
A large handful of parsley
1 14 ounce jar of Piquillo peppers, drained (I like this one)
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons of GOOD sherry vinegar (I like this one)
2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
1/2 cup good EVOO
*cayenne-if you like spicy, add a 1/2 teaspoon, otherwise not necessary
Salt and pepper
Another handful of flat parsley leaves, casually torn
Method
Heat your oven to 400°. Carefully cut the core of your cauliflower out from the bottom (using your fabulous new bird’s beak knife) trying not to separate any florets from the stalk. Don’t overly worry if you do-you will get the hang of it in time. Place your cauliflower on a baking tray and drizzle olive oil over it-maybe 1/4-1/2 of a cup, depending on the size. Rub it all over so it is thoroughly greased up. Cover with foil and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or so and then remove the foil, turn the heat down to 375 and continue to bake for about another hour or hour and a half. You are looking for burnished brown and tender throughout (use a cake tester, skewer, or toothpick to check).
While your beauty is in the oven, get out your blender, processor, or super sharp knife and bowl if you have neither (I am actually more of a processor fan for this task). Toss the first three ingredients into the machine and blitz till pasty. Add the peppers, tomato paste, vinegar, and paprika and blitz again till puréed. Slowly pour in the EVOO with the machine running and taste. Add salt, pepper, and (maybe) cayenne to your liking. If doing by hand, basically chop the hell out of everything and mix in the EVOO at the end. Or use a mortar and pestle and mash everything similarly. It will all taste delicious any way you do it.
When your cauliflower is finished, cut it into big meaty slices, and place it on a platter, which you have previously smeared great quantities of your gorgeous Romesco. Toss a great handful of the torn parsley leaves on top and proudly serve to your loved ones.
Dressing Salad
I dress leafy greens, vegetables, and a variety of beans, meats and fishes every single day. There is no greater delight for me than a trip to the farm stand and the resulting beauty of a composed (or totally messy) salad with its accompanying acidic/oily/salty/spicy counterpart. I possess and arsinal of incredible oils, vinegars, spices...even a cutting garden with fresh herbs. All of these elements are essential for making a great dressing or sauce and so make sure you have at least one good bottle of olive oil and two or three great vinegars in your pantry. Kosher salt and a pepper mill with fresh peppercorns are also critical for success. If you have the space to keep garlic, onions, and a lemon or two on the counter, please do this too. The secret weapon that I find most cooks leave out of their homemade dressings is a sweet element, which serves to balance the acid. My go-to is raw unfiltered honey, but I’ve been known to use white/brown/coconut/date sugar, agave...You know, whatever is handy. You may also be like me in that you tend to collect fancy mustards (you know who you are!). If you don’t, buy one small jar of good Dijon and keep it just for this purpose.
I think everyone should have a few great salad dressings in their repertoire, ones that you don’t need to measure or look at a recipe to make. I am going to give you a gift and tell you the one my grandmother taught me. But first I will digress about kitchen tools (one of my favorite topics) and the state of my right hand (not good).
That beautiful creamy dressing was made with a machine! Yesss!
As a seasonal private chef, my days are spent reading, planning, shopping, running around, prepping, cooking, and cleaning up. Much of each day is spent on my feet, using my hand in repetitive motion. This year I was diagnosed with Dupuytren’s Disease, a progressive condition affecting the hand (read all about it here). In response (after freaking the f$#k out), I have been trying some dietary and “alternative” treatments (acupuncture and massage have been very effective), and have also adapted some of my kitchen practices to lessen the load on my hand. Instead of using my beloved knife for every single task, I now pick the jobs where beautiful knifework is imperative and use a machine for the rest.
Working in the kitchen of a beautiful home often requires form over function, one of the challenges of my job. This might require keeping unsightly appliances off of the counters. Because I make so many dressings and sauces, I invested in a small, lightweight food processor (this one, from Amazon). It is stored under my counter, and I have trained myself to use it on a daily basis. It gives my hand a break and emulsifies beautifully. While I love a bowl and a whisk, I have grown very fond of this little powerhouse and encourage those who are infirm or short on time (or who just love cute little appliances), to give one a whirl (sorry, couldn’t resist). Okay, onward to the recipe!
Best Simple Salad Dressing to Memorize Forever
Makes around a cup or so, and will keep for days in your fridge in a covered jar
Ingredients
1 tablespoon of shallot, finely minced
1 very small clove of garlic, finely minced
1/3 cup of vinegar (red wine, white wine, or champagne)
2 teaspoon of mustard
1 teaspoon of honey (or sugar, or agave...)
1/2 cup of good EVOO (or more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
A few good grindings of pepper
A handful of fresh herbs (I typically go for chives, parsley, tarragon, and/or basil)
Method(s)
In a small-medium sized bowl, soak the shallot and garlic in vinegar for about 10-15 minutes (prep your greens while this happens). Whisk in the rest of the ingredients until the mixture is a little thick and emulsified. Or toss the shallot and garlic into your machine to mince, add the vinegar and wait. Then add the rest of the ingredients and blitz till emulsified. Or use a jar and shake, shake, shake.
When you dress a salad, start out conservatively. Overdressing is a sad state of affairs and easily prevented. Also, don’t forget to dress the protein, if you’ve included one. Whenever there are greens and veggies to toss, I recommend you use your freshly washed hands for the job. Do this out of the eyesight of your family, guests, or clients. It is the absolute best method, but for some reason also tends to alarm people. Anyhow, HANDS. So important, so take good care of yours!
The amazingly versatile green sauce
Salsa Verde, Sauce Vert, Chimichurri, Chermoula…Every cuisine seems to have a green sauce, made with fresh and/or dried herbs, some sort of acid, an allium, a salty element, and oil to emulsify. I personally probably rely on this sauce a little too much, because it’s easy, impresses (some) people, can often be made with items on hand (including herbs from your crisper that are past their best age), and is also eternally flexible.
Some uses for green sauce: topping roasted/grilled/poached seafood or meats, adding to grilled or roasted veggies to brighten the flavors, mixing into homemade mayonnaise for a fancier tartar sauce, folding into pasta with some peas and prosciutto for something your guests will want to know more about…I tend to make more than I need for one time and then use it up flavoring other dishes, including crab cakes, fritters, all manner of slaws and potato salads…You get the drift: easy, useful, and delicious.
If I am feeling virtuous, I make this entirely by hand. If I’m in a rush, I make it in the Cuisinart or even Vitamix which gives a more polished, smooth consistency. Again, I can’t stress enough the flexibility of a recipe like this. If you don’t have shallots, use any other kind of onion (vidalia, shallot, red onion?). If you don’t have parsley, use cilantro. No olive oil? Canola oil will do. Free yourself from the constraints of uptight recipes! Break the chains and see what happens!
Green Sauce #143
Ingredients
1/2 cup finely minced parsley
1/2 cup finely minced basil
2 tablespoons of minced capers (I used smaller ones in brine)
1 small shallot, finely minced (about 1 tablespoon)
The zest and juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon of good Dijon mustard
a few good pinches of sugar
1/2 cup or so of good EVOO
a pinch of salt and good grinding of pepper
Method
Whisk everything together in a bowl and chill. You can also forgo the mincing and dicing and throw everything in a machine and pulse till the sauce is a consistency that you like. Use in new and exciting ways and then let me know all about it.
Ninja Sesame Sauce
I don’t know about where you’re at, but it’s still hot as hell where we are, with 99% humidity. Cold meals are where it’s at! I have literally never met a person who would not eat my cold sesame noodles when presented with a beautiful dish of them on a hot day.
To make this salad, cook rice noodles according to package directions, rinse in cold water and dress with the sauce. Chill and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and thinly sliced scallions.
I wish I had a warm and fuzzy or funny story to tell you about sesame seeds or sesame noodles, but I simply do not. All I will say is that this sauce is like a ninja. It can shapeshift and appear as a different character in so many places…Dip your fresh rolls in it, mix it into cold, cooked rice noodles, swirl it into mayo and spread on toast with cooked chicken, avocado, and thinly sliced radishes for the most oddly delicious sandwich ever, cut up some veggies and use it as a dip, straight up…It is spectacularly addictive, so be careful and consider yourself warned!
Ninja Sesame Sauce
Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients
1/2 cup Tahini
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
2 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons of honey
1 inch piece of ginger, frozen and grated with a microplane grater
1 small clove of garlic, minced
a little hot water to thin the sauce
Method
Literally whisk everything together and you are done. Brilliant, right?