There was a time, not so long ago when cauliflower was shunned. There was too great a collective memory about how bad it could be. Too many experiences of trying to eat unidentifiable, pinky-grey mush without gagging. Even the addition of cheese sauce offered, in many cases, no redemption. Somewhere along the line, things began to change. Perhaps it was the discovery that roasting cauliflower created an altogether different cauliflower experience. Perhaps this was championed by the likes of Ottolenghi, whose impact on the culinary adventures of many can’t be understated. Perhaps it was the wellness tribe who reinvented cauliflower into everything but cauliflower. Whatever the catalyst, cauliflower is now held in much higher regard.
I was doing a little internet research for this post, more than anything, to confirm that cauliflower really was an ‘in’ vegetable rather than it being a result of my own bias towards it. Other than spending some thousands of dollars on the global Cauliflower and Broccoli Report, which I’m sure would be useful if I were a grower seeking world domination, there is unsurprisingly dubious information out there presented as legitimate research. For example, apparently, the trending ingredients and flavour pairings for cauliflower are coffee1, smoothie, roasted vegetables, salad and beer. I know where we live isn’t quite the hub of global trends, and perhaps cauliflower coffee hasn’t yet reached us, but I can’t imagine the locals embracing this one. Nor the cauliflower smoothie. The same report suggests that cauliflower is trending in the restaurant space with increased social conversations about cauliflower (up by over 19%!), has a menu penetration of 9.6%, and the top cauliflower dishes in restaurants are Karaage, chicken and waffles, corned beef, lobster roll and potato chips. I haven’t seen cauliflower with any of these things at the restaurants I’ve visited recently, but perhaps I’m going to the wrong places.
I was lucky in my childhood cauliflower experiences; they were mostly good, and I really only remember my Grandma adhering to the ‘cook the life out of vegetables’ philosophy. Cauliflower cheese was a regular at our dinner table, but rather than a side dish, it was the main affair. Money was often tight, and the whole cauliflower, smothered in cheese sauce and baked to a golden brown, was centre stage. We never considered that there should be more food. We weren’t hungry, and it was delicious. That we never thought we were missing out really was a testament to my mother’s skills. The food always had a presence, regardless of its simplicity. From a centrepiece of cauliflower cheese to triangles of sardines on toast with their flutter of chopped curly parsley, our food never seemed apologetic, as though it were a stand until something better came along.
My fondness for cauliflower continues these days as a gardener as well as a cook. As is often the way of the home gardener, despite trying very carefully to spread out their planting, the cauliflowers are generally all ready for harvesting within days of each other. They go from having tight, creamy white heads to being on the verge of bolting very quickly. It means that we eat cauliflower in many guises on a daily basis. Cauliflower cheese is still a firm favourite in the cooler months, although these days generally as a side dish. I sometimes like to add a little smoked cheese to the sauce; it adds an umami hit. And cauliflower cheese transformed into a soup is perhaps the ultimate Sunday evening dinner - comforting and rich, it is the best treat.
One of my favourite cauliflower dishes is to break a large cauliflower into florets and put them in a roasting dish with a red onion cut into wedges, a punnet of cherry tomatoes, and a drained tin of chickpeas or cannellini beans. Add 3 bay leaves to the roasting tray along with 60 ml of olive oil, the juice of a lemon, 1½ teaspoons of turmeric, 1 teaspoon of nigella seeds, ½ teaspoon of sweet paprika, ¼ of a teaspoon of ground cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Give everything a mix with your hands and then pop the tray in the oven preheated to 170°C and bake for about 40 minutes or until the cauliflower is browned and softened and the cherry tomatoes have collapsed. Sprinkle with a good handful of chopped parsley before serving. It’s good with a dollop of garlicky yoghurt, and I sometimes add halloumi to the tray before roasting.
Somewhere along the way in the last year or so, I ate a cauliflower and stout pie, something very on trend if we are to believe the report I mentioned. It wasn’t the best, but the flavours stuck with me and I’ve recently been experimenting. After playing around a little, I’ve settled on a cauliflower, shallot and stout combination. The stout brings an umami depth to the pie and, with the cauliflower and shallots, has a definite winter vibe. I’ve chosen a hot water pastry for these. If you’re at all a pastry avoider, this is the pastry for you. Simple to make, there’s no need to worry about keeping things cool. It’s incredibly forgiving, doesn’t get overworked too easily, doesn’t require blind baking and is sturdy enough to hold a reasonably wet filling.
I’ve made these as individual pies. I have a cake tin that has a dozen straight-sided holes with loose bottoms, and each hole will take about a cup of filling. It is perhaps my most often-used tin. I like the visual appeal of the straight sides and the loose bottoms make unmoulding much easier. You could bake these in a large Texas muffin tin or individual ramekins. Alternatively, you could make one large pie in a deep pie dish. The recipe yield will vary depending on the size of the tin you use.
Cauliflower, Shallot & Stout Pie
Makes 4-6 individual pies, depending on size
For the filling:
1 small cauliflower, separated into small florets. You should have about 500 g of cauliflower
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
few grinds of black pepper
200 g shallots, peeled and finely sliced
60 ml stout
20 g butter
1 tablespoon plain flour
220 ml milk
60 g sharp cheddar, grated
1 egg
For the pastry:
150 g salted butter
160 ml water
375 g plain flour
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Put the cauliflower florets, garlic, olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper in a baking tray. Toss everything gently and roast in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the cauliflower has softened and is lightly coloured. Remove from the oven.
Put the sliced shallots into a saucepan. Pour in the stout and cook over a low heat until the shallots are soft and there is no liquid stout remaining. This will take 10-15 minutes. Increase the heat to medium. Add the butter and stir until it has melted. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Pour in the milk and continue stirring until the sauce is smooth and thick. Add ½ teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper.
To make the pastry, put the butter and water into a saucepan. Melt the butter and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour until you have a smooth dough. Tip onto a lightly floured work bench and knead a few times until the dough is smooth. Roll out until the dough is about 3 mm thick. Cut around a plate that is about 16 cm in diameter. You will need to gather up the scraps and reroll to cut out 4-6 rounds. You will also need to cut lids for your pies. Line 4-6 individual ramekins or the holes of a large muffin tin with the pastry. Trim the edges. Spoon some of the sauce into the base of each pie. Top with the roasted cauliflower, making sure to pack it in well. Spoon more sauce over the top. Lightly whisk the egg and brush a little around the edge of the pastry before placing the lid on top of each pie. Cut a small cross into the centre of the pie and brush with the egg wash. Grind a little pepper over the top of each pie.
Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes or until the tops are golden.
Next week: new homes + a Persian inspired pudding
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I stand corrected on the cauliflower coffee, apparently, it is a thing. The cauliflower latte uses 7 g of cauliflower powder, equivalent to one serving of vegetables. Apparently, it’s creamy and takes the bitter edge off the coffee. I’m going to stick with my prediction that it’s not going to take off where we are.
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This all looks delicious and I learned a new word: “punnet” 😃 I think Cauliflower Redemption is a great title!
The cauliflower chickpea and tomato dish does sound and look very nice. Will also give the pies a go. I guess you could use that pastry for any filling. I finally made some puff pastry last weekend and the family were very impressed. Curious about the tin you used Julia - how high would the sides be approx. I've seen some online but the sides are all only about 1" high.