Tuesday, October 12, 2010

This one is REALLY easy: cauliflower with tahini

It's not a combination that immediately comes to mind, does it? Well, that's Cookshop for you, and a combination like this always reminds me how brilliant a good cook is.
Where did this combo come from? How many tries before they got it to work? All I can say is that this version, takes a vegetable about which I am sometimes indifferent, and leads me to order it as a side dish if it doesn't come with my dinner.
Cookshop serves this with fish: usually cod or some other thick white fish. That's how we had it. I think, though, that you could probably serve it with chicken or maybe even pork. I don't think I'd put it against the richer meats, because the flavor would be lost.
Cauliflower has a very odd texture which turns off a lot of people. So, too, does the smell if it's not cooked properly. But the smell is easy to take care of: cook it in a lot of salted water. The more water, the more the smell of the mustard gasses will disperse. Cauliflower IS a member of the cabbage family, so expect that aroma if you don't do it with lots of water. And also, try the yellow version if you can find it. It tastes the same as white cauliflower, but it just seems to taste better. What can I say? We DO eat with our eyes.

Ok, here we go. Get two medium sized heads of cauliflower and cut them down into big florets. Put them into a pot of salted, boiling water, and cook them for, maybe, 5-7 minutes. They will not be completely cooked, but that's ok, because you're going to cook them again.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Start this after the vegetables have cooled down, and drained. And when the oven is at the right temperature, put the veggies into a bowl, and add a few tablespoons of olive oil. Turn the cauliflower in the oil to coat it, and then spread it out on a baking sheet. After about six minutes , check. The portions on the baking sheet should be brown, or even black. That's what you want. Turn the cauliflower, so that you can get more color on a second side. It won't take more than 4-5 minutes.

While the cauliflower is roasting, put about a quarter to a third of a cup of tahini into a bowl. Now, tahini comes in different thicknesses. If your tahini is very thick, you can actually add water to thin it. Just stir it well. Then put the roasted veggies in, turn them in the tahini, and add some salt if you feel it needs it.

This makes a LOT of vegetable, and that's a good thing, because this is real tasty. It's also vegan. Find a vegan friend, and share. He or she will love you for it.

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