Sunday, November 23, 2008

Roasted Cauliflower, Walnuts and Queso De Cabra Salad


This recipe rocks. I remember a couple of years ago they tried making cauliflower the 'it' vegetable: cauliflower risotto, cauliflower pasta and to be honest, I wasn't sold. To me, cauliflower has always been a poor mans broccolli.

I changed my mind when we found this recipe in a Gourmet Traveller Magazine. It's from the 2007 Christmas issue from an editorial about the truly talent brothers: Andrew & Matt McConnell (chefs of restaurants Three One Two and Bar Louringha respectively) It's a Christmas staple on their family table and I think it will be on ours too in the many years ahead.

If you're looking for a new Christmas salad, I suggest giving this a go..

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, dry roasted
1 cauliflower, cut into large florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
50g (1/2 cup) roasted walnuts
1/2 spanish onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup of flat leaf parsley leaves, coarsely torn
Finely grated rind and juice of 1 1/2 lemons
Shaved Queso de Cabra cheese. If you can find this particular Spanish goats cheese, any soft goats cheese will do (try for Italian next)
extra-virgin olive oil, to serve

Preheat oven to 200ÂșC

Place coriander seeds in a mortar and using the pestle, finely crush them and combine with cauliflower, olive oil and 2/3 of the walnuts.

Place in a heavy based roasting tray and roast for 25 minutes or until slightly brown and just beginning to soften.

Cool slightly then add the onion, garlic, parsley, lemon rind and juice.

Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and toss gently. Scatter cheese over cauliflower before serving, either warm or at room temperature.

We recently had this salad with some BBQ lamb cutlets and a refreshing ale on a Sunday afternoon. Just delightful.

2 comments:

Celine's Cuisine said...

Yes this Recipe Rocks. I love Cauliflowers too except the smell of the kitchen when you cook it!

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Mel in Lao said...

I tried this last night and it was a hit. I used fennel seeds as no corriander seeds, limes and fresh corriander as lemons and parsley are hard to find in Asia and it was delicious!