Roasted Venetian Cauliflower

I always have cauliflower in the fridge.  Some people have an obsession with butternut squash, but mine is with cauliflower.  Every time I go to the supermarket I buy a head and by the end of this past week, there were three in my refrigerator.  I wanted to do something more interesting than simply roasting and caramelizing it and remembered that last week’s NYT Cooking newsletter (6 Recipes for the Holidays) included a recipe for Venetian Cauliflower by one of my favorite recipe authors, David Tanis.  His recipes are simple and always flavorful.  (By the way, I love the NYT Cooking newsletters – they are free and delivered to my inbox 1-2 times each week.)

Venetian Cauliflower seems like an intimidating dish, but it is simple to prepare and there are so many unique and complex flavors that meld perfectly together.  I have never cooked with saffron or cardamon seeds and I was leery of adding cinnamon, but this is probably the most delicious and interesting cauliflower dish I’ve ever tasted.  It would be a perfect side for a holiday meal, whether it’s Thanksgiving (with turkey), Passover (with brisket) or Easter (with roast lamb).  This would also pair beautifully with a simple roasted salmon.

Roasted Venetian Cauliflower

Print Recipe

The original recipe calls for blanching the cauliflower in boiling water (which may result in a lighter tasting dish), but I decided to roast it instead, as I love the deep flavor of roasted cauliflower. However you decide to prepare the cauliflower this dish is delicious.

• CourseSide Dish

Servings	Prep Time
6 people	10 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Servings Prep Time 6 people 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Roasted Venetian Cauliflower Print Recipe The original recipe calls for blanching the cauliflower in boiling water (which may result in a lighter tasting dish), but I decided to roast it instead, as I love the deep flavor of roasted cauliflower. However you decide to prepare the cauliflower this dish is delicious. CourseSide Dish Servings Prep Time 6 people 10 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Servings Prep Time 6 people 10 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

To roast the cauliflower:

• 1 head cauliflower
• 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt to taste

Preparing the rest of the salad:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup onion finely diced (about 1/2 medium sized onion)
• pinch saffron crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon ground
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds coarsely crushed (use the back of a spoon)
• 1/8 teaspoon coriander seeds coarsely crushed (use the back of a spoon)
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons dried currants
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup walnuts coarsely chopped, or pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley fresh, chopped

Servings: people

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cut cauliflower into florets. Toss in a bowl with 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and kosher salt. Lay cauliflower out on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
3. While the cauliflower roasts: in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add onion and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add saffron, cinnamon, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, crushed red pepper and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to stir and heat spices to release their flavor, about 5 minutes.

   
4. In a mixing bowl, combine the roasted cauliflower with the onion and spice mixture, folding all of the ingredients together.

   
5. Add lemon zest, currants, raisins and parsley and toss to combine.

   
6. Transfer the salad to a serving dish. Top with walnuts (or pine nuts, if using) and additional chopped parsley if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

   

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Venetian Cauliflower recipe by David Tanis which appeared in the Food section of The New York Times, March 20, 2015.

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