Caramelized Cauliflower

Cauliflower is a vegetable with many cousins: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, and kale. This picture is of a relative new variety of green cauliflower that has become widely available only since the 1990s. Viewed up close, cauliflower is certainly a complex and curious plant. If you have ever heard about “fractals” or the “Mandelbrot set” then this picture looks will look very familiar. Mathematicians and computer geeks just love cauliflower.

For the rest of us, cauliflower is one of those vegetables that we tend to walk past in the supermarket. At a restaurant, if it automatically comes with the main dish we order, well, then the cauliflower comes to our table. But, have you ever scanned a menu and searched to find and order a cauliflower dish? They are just not on our radar.

From Lucinda Scala Quinn comes this vigorous, double-barreled temptation to shop, cook, and certainly enjoy. The trick here is to caramelize the cauliflower — the plain version below — and then possibly adorn it with red pepper flakes, capers, raisins, and parsley. — the fancy version that follows. Surely, with all those adornments, cauliflower deserves a serious chance. The fancy dish will provide a full frontal flavor assault.

This is an interesting side dish, one robust enough to match any protein on your table. And, perhaps, a strong vegetable dish is just what you need for your Thanksgiving table. Served with a dip, this can also be a “different” appetizer for you next party.

The Plain Version

Yield: serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, washed, trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced
1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread the cauliflower in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle over the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Roast until the cauliflower is lightly caramelized, turning once, about 30 minutes. Serves as is or proceed with the fancy variation below.

The Fancy Version

Yield: serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons salt-packed capers, well rinsed
3 tablespoons golden raisins
1 recipe Caramelized Cauliflower Plain [just above]
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leave

Preparation:

Heat a small pan, and then add the olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 30 seconds. Add the capers and raisins and cook for another minute.

Drizzle the caramelized cauliflower with the caper mixture and parsley and toss to coat well. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Caramelized Cauliflower