Roasted Cauliflower, Lemon, and Shallots
Looks great, no? We had it for dinner with grilled branzino last night. And the recipe couldn't be easier. One of Bruce's greats, I think.
But first, a confession. I've been silent the past day or so because I've been thinking. Dana started it. (Check out her thoughts in the comments here.)
My quandary has been about real food and sugars, brought on by those darn delicious cupcakes and their even more darn delicious frosting. I've been pondering all this because of some solid research on satiety and sugars, all discussed in our new book, the one named after this blog, a seven-step plan to get off processed food. (If you'd like to see more about that title, it's here.)
Anyway, I'm going to post a fuller detailing of the real food/sugar question tomorrow. For now, I thought I'd go really simple, sort of to save up some energy. I hope you'll all stay tuned and take part--because it's one of those crucial discussions we need to be having.
Anyway, on to the roasted cauliflower.
This is going to be one of those no-measuring-cups-or-spoons recipes, just the way Bruce does most of his cooking. I hope you'll appreciate its flexibility and freedom.
First, position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400F. (You can also make this dish on the grill but it has to be done over indirect heat--that is, the roasting pan is to the side of the heat source, not directly over it.)
Quarter several (3? 5?) shallots through the root ends so they stay intact when divided. Toss them into a large roasting pan with 1 chopped lemon, a generous splash of olive oil, some salt, and several grinds of black pepper.
Roast for about 30 minutes, stirring several times so that the shallots and lemon caramelize without burning.
Add 1 head cauliflower, broken into florets--plus a little more olive oil. Stir it up and continue roasting for about 30 minutes, tossing and stirring occasionally, until everything's lightly browned and hot.
And that's the dish. Except it's so flexible. Here are some suggestions:
1. Add some red pepper flakes with the cauliflower for some kick.
2. Finish the dish with a splash of balsamic vinegar before serving, scraping up any browned gunk in it as the vinegar boils from contact with the hot metal.
3. Add some broccoli florets, too, with the cauliflower.
4. Add some minced herbs with the florets. Rosemary would be particularly lovely.
And finally, this: Bruce and I like crunchy cauliflower. A lot of people would think we like it almost raw. I want to hear chewing! If you like it a little more done, let it go another 15 minutes, but keep stirring so that nothing burns. Or pre-steam the florets for 10 minutes while the shallots and lemon bits roast.
Not much else to it. Except maybe a little crunchy salt just before it comes to the table.
grill, lemons, roasted cauliflower, roasted lemon, roasted shallots, shallots, side dish
Reader Comments (3)
I am dying, DYING for this. If I had cauliflower in the house, or time to hit the market this afternoon, I'd be having it for dinner tonight. As it happens, I don't and I don't, so I have to wait. But not long.
Totally going to try this out tonight with some herbs! I'm thinking either rosemary or taragon?
How do you get the crispy texture, again? I'm a little confused if you're baking or stirring in an open pan....
Happy friend, I think I'd go with rosemary because of the lemon. But either would work. Or a combo of thyme and oregano. It's all done in the oven, all roasted. The hot pan will take care of the browning.
M.