Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that I avoided for most of my life. My main memory is of largely tasteless florets in salads. As a kid, I thought of it as defective broccoli.
Then last a year a friend wrote about how she didn't like cauliflower until she had it roasted with olive oil and salt. I had to try it. And I loved it. Now I actually crave cauliflower. Joe thinks I've gone crazy. I've always thought it a very pretty vegetable to start with, and it has a gorgeous texture that I think makes it fun to handle. The slices make lovely, whimsical trees. And now, I get to enjoy eating it too.
Roasted Cauliflower
Heat oven to -- oh, say somewhere between 350 F and 400 F. Slice cauliflower about 1/8th to 1/4 inch thick. Uniformity in thickness is good, as that means an even cooking time. Toss with some olive oil and sea salt and, if you like, some freshly-ground black pepper. Roast on a cookie sheet and bake. At some point, flip the slices. I find on my thin metal sheet that the cauliflower browns on the bottom side, so beware; looks can be deceiving. Roast until it reaches the desired browness.
I have no idea how long it takes to cook. I've never timed it. I just check after 10-15 minutes to see if it needs flipping. The hotter your oven, the faster it will cook. I like a mix of crispy pieces and succulent pieces.
Hmm, cauliflower with Indian spices is delicious. Also try tempura cauliflower if you get the chance. I am not normally a fan of cauliflower, but your picture reminds me of my mother's cauliflower dishes from my childhood.
Posted by: Mellissa | February 15, 2006 at 03:23 AM
I think my favourite will always be the braised chinese cauliflower my grandmother did and I love indian cauliflower + potato.. but this sounds alot easier.
I just saw the Surreal Gourmet do something similar on one episode where he was cooking for kids.
He broke up the florets into smaller pieces and roasted them for 45mins (even tho recipe says 1hr) to make cauliflower 'popcorn'
http://foodtv.ca/recipes/recipedetails.aspx?dishid=7182
Posted by: Don | February 19, 2006 at 03:59 PM