I invented a little dish last night that is destined to be a recurring character at our table. Ay Carumba Crunchy Cauli! This is inspired by the cauliflower at Nuba, for any Vancouverites reading. Here's a picture that is not mine but loosely resembles the creation:
1 head cauliflower, cleaned and broken into medium sized florets
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp cornmeal (for crunch)
1/2 tsp sugar
Crank your oven to 500F! My old oven aims for such high heat but doesn't quite get there so I think my cauli cooked at 450F or so, but aim high! Melt the butter somehow (I did it in the oven in the casserole dish I would use to cook the veggies), then put the cauli in a bowl and pour the butter over top. Stir to coat. In a small bowl mix all the seasoning, flour, and cornmeal together. Toss it with the buttered cauli until all is evenly coated. Pour veggies into a medium casserole dish so it can sit in one layer, then sprinkle with sugar before you pop it in the oven. Stir after 10 minutes, return to oven for another 10. Done!
A 20 minute cauliflower dish with mega crunch and tasty spicing! We ate this over mixed greens alongside a bowl of potato leek soup Rocco made last week. Wish I'd taken a picture! I want to serve the cauliflower as an appetizer at my next party, with toothpicks. We had it hot last night but I bet it would be delicious just warm and the cornmeal will help it stay crunchy even as the temp changes. I'm pretty certain the Nuba version uses almonds, and next time I'll experiment with sprinkling toasted almond slices over top after cooking, or maybe even subbing some of the flour with ground almonds. Mmmm delicious!
