This recipe, or a variation of it, has become a popular dish in many Israeli kitchens. The person, who made it so familiar to everyone, is the renowned chef Eyal Shani who serves it in his restaurants. This cauliflower is buttery soft (yet not mushy) on the inside, with a crunchy, salty, slightly burnt surface. It is a real joy and kids just LOVE it. I deviated slightly from the original recipe to create a simpler and quicker version that is as good as the one served in Eyal Shani’s restaurants.
Ingredients:
1 small to medium cauliflower. For a crunchier result use a small cauliflower with a better inside\surface ratio(pure geometry 🙂 )
Olive oil
Salt – I prefer grey sea salt. It has better taste and texture.
Directions:
1. Preheat an oven to 450F (230C).
2. Rinse the cauliflower thoroughly and remove any “black/grey spots”. Leave the outer leaves intact.
3. Cut the base of the cauliflower so it can stand on its base.
4.Place the whole cauliflower, standing on its base, in a pot big enough to accommodate it, with 1 inch (2.5cm) of water and 2 tsp of salt. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil.
5. Lower to medium heat and steam for exactly 10 minutes.
6.Take the cauliflower out of the pot and place on a cutting board (since it is very hot, at this point, I find that lifting it by squeezing it between two large wooden spoons works the best)
7.Pour some olive oil into your palms and massage the cauliflower’s surface until it is coated with a thin layer of the oil. Make sure to rub the outer leaves as well – this way they too will turn out yummy!
8. Put some grey sea salt in your palmsand rub it in slightly on the cauliflower’s surface.
9.Place the cauliflower in the center of a baking pan lined with aluminum foil, and bake for about 45 minutes.
The cauliflower will first turn yellow, than slightly brown, and when you begin to see parts that are slightly burnt (black), it is time to take it out of the oven.
Serve as a side dish. You can quarter it, if you like, before serving.
It is eaten as is, but would go well with a bit ofolive oil and salt and/or tahini and/orlemon juice and/orspicy jam of lemonsand/orsome chopped cilantro or parsley.
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A Whole Baked, Melt-in-Your-Mouth, Cauliflower Recipe
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Cook time
Total time
Ingredients
1 small to medium cauliflower. For a crunchier result use a small cauliflower with a better inside\surface ratio (pure geometry )
Olive oil
Salt – I prefer grey sea salt. It has better taste and texture.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450F (230C).
Rinse the cauliflower thoroughly and remove any black/grey spots. Leave the outer leaves intact.
Cut the base of the cauliflower so it can stand on its base.
Place the whole cauliflower, standing on its base, in a pot big enough to accommodate it, with 1 inch (2.5cm) of water and 2 tsp of salt. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil.
Lower to medium heat and steam for exactly 10 minutes.
Take the cauliflower out of the pot and place on a cutting board (since it is very hot, at this point, I find that lifting it by squeezing it between two large wooden spoons works the best)
Pour some olive oil into your palms and massage the cauliflower's surface until it is coated with a thin layer of the oil. Make sure to rub the outer leaves as well – this way they too will turn out yummy!
Put some grey sea salt in your palms and rub it in slightly on the cauliflower's surface.
Place the cauliflower in the center of a baking pan lined with aluminum foil, and bake for about 45 minutes.The cauliflower will first turn yellow, than slightly brown, and when you begin to see parts that are slightly burnt (black), it is time to take it out of the oven.
Serve as a side dish. You can quarter it, if you like, before serving.
It is eaten as is, but would go well with a bit of olive oil and salt and/or tahini and/or lemon juice and/or spicy jam of lemons and/or some chopped cilantro or parsley.
This process – which should last 10-20 minutes - destroys several microbes and large parasites. As cauliflower is highly susceptible to microbial attacks, it should be washed once again. This time, boil some water and put the cauliflower florets in it. Keep for five minutes and remove from the hot water.
Cooked cauliflower florets keep their shape best when steamed (5-10 mins) – remember to place them upright in the steamer. It can also be boiled (takes 5-10 mins for florets; around 10 mins for a whole cauliflower). For both cooking methods, test regularly with the tip of a knife to make sure they don't overcook.
Undercooking It. Overcooking is bad, but undercooking cauliflower is an equally off-putting problem. "When making cauliflower steaks or roasting florets, if you don't roast it in the oven long enough it will be warm but still hard and unenjoyable to eat," says Michalczyk.
Helps retain color: Cauliflower can sometimes turn brown or lose its vibrant white color when cooked. However, the acid in lemon juice can help prevent discoloration and maintain the cauliflower's white appearance.
Cauliflower contains some phytonutrients, these nutrients may react with iron cookware and gives the cauliflower a brownish color. To prevent this add some lemon juice to the cauliflower or to the water in which it is blanched.
The general rule of thumb is about 20 minutes. Cauliflower that is overcooked will lose up to 50% of its vitamins and minerals. If you want a healthy meal, cook it for just a few minutes less.
Season the florets with salt and pepper, and cover the pot. Let them steam until the tip of a knife or fork can be inserted easily without resistance, 8 to 10 minutes, depending on size. The ideal steamed cauliflower should read al dente, never mushy.
As per experts, the head of cauliflower is full of crevices that make it susceptible to collecting insects, bacteria, and dirt; hence, cleaning it before consumption is necessary.
First, take care not to overcrowd your pan; if the cauliflower is packed in rim-to-rim, the moisture will not be able to escape as the florets cook, which will result in soft steamed cauliflower instead of roasted. Next, don't be overly generous with the oil — a light coating is what we're after here.
Baking soda is often used as a natural cleaning agent, and it can be used to brighten up your veggies too. Sprinkle a little in the water before boiling to prevent cauliflower from yellowing and make corn look more vibrant.
Most recipes recommend blanching the cauliflower in boiling water for a few minutes for this initial stage, but it's important to pay close attention to this step. The watery problem happens when the cauliflower is either overcooked or not drained well enough after a quick blanching.
Cauliflower heads can be roasted, grilled, boiled, fried, steamed, pickled, or eaten raw. When cooking, the outer leaves and thick stalks are typically removed, leaving only the florets (the edible "curd" or "head").
There are two really simple techniques that bring out the best in cauliflower: grilling and pickling. Dumping cauliflower florets in a mixture of salt and lemon juice for 45 minutes to an hour turns them into spiky little flavor bombs, delivering high-pitched squeaks in salads, sandwiches or the stew recipe here.
Produce with rough outer skin: Items such as broccoli, potatoes and cauliflower are a little harder to clean. Soak in a solution of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water for 1 minute. For heads of cabbage or lettuce, it's best to separate the leaves first.
Mildly Marinated Cauliflower is the perfect balance of pickling spices. There's a sweet tang that children will love and don't hesitate to add it to salads.
If you cut all the way through the floret, you're cutting through the cell structure of the curd — and when you cook it, that part will get mushy. Easier still: Place the larger florets on a baking sheet, sprinkle with a little olive oil and roast them. Michael Marks is the marketing manager for FreshPoint.
Take all the floret halves and place them into a water-filled bowl / pan. Move around the florets; allow the florets to soak in the bowl / pan for five minutes.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Carey Rath, I am a faithful, funny, vast, joyous, lively, brave, glamorous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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