Roasted Cauliflower, Raisins and Anchovy Vinaigrette
Again with the crunchy vegetables, sorry my dear.
I love crunchy cauliflower, eating it raw from the cruditè dish at parties, I remember discovering it when I was a kid at parties at my parent’s friends houses, there was always raw cauliflower. I also loved the steamed cauliflower with béchamel that my mother would always make. But I recently discovered from the many food blogs that I read that roasted cauliflower is probably the most delicious way to prepare this white flower. Unfortunately it doesn’t become soft enough to eat with a spoon, as to my husband’s liking.
Mark Bittman, one of my favorite food writers, posted this in his blog a few months ago and it was perfect, the anchovies and raisins, with the CRUNCHY cauliflower. Mmmm. We just got back from a long weekend in Sicily, so raisins mixed with fish and vegetables are on the brain right now. I will be posting about our trip and the many delicious things that we ate one our trip. I think Sicily wins as my favorite food region in Italy.
Reserve the remaining (rather strong) vinaigrette for tossing with the cauliflower at the last minute, along with the raisins, whose sweetness counters the anchovies beautifully.
- 1 large cauliflower, cored, trimmed and separated into florets
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons sherry or balsamic vinegar, or to taste
- 4 minced anchovy fillets, with a little of their oil, or to taste (I used 2 anchovies)
- 1/2 cup raisins, preferably golden
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put cauliflower in roasting pan, drizzle with 3 tablespoons oil and some salt and pepper; toss. Roast, turning once or twice, for 15 minutes or so, until cauliflower just starts to soften.
Meanwhile, make vinaigrette by combining remaining oil with vinegar, anchovies and a little salt and pepper; taste and adjust seasoning. Remove pan, drizzle cauliflower with 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette, and toss. Roast, turning once, until a thin-bladed knife pierces a piece with little resistance, for 15 minutes. (Recipe may be cooled at this point, covered tightly and refrigerated for 2 days.)
At last minute, put cauliflower in salad bowl and add raisins, parsley and remaining vinaigrette and toss. Taste and sprinkle with salt, if needed, and lots of pepper, then serve.
Italicious 