Saturday 21 August 2010

whole baked cauliflower with tomato and olive sauce

When you want to bring Mediterranean summer into your home, through your kitchen, I recommend you make this dish. Out of the many vegetables recipes in Jamie's book, this is the one recipe I have made many times, especially during the colder months of the year because it's very comforting and delicious, of course.

I think this is a very clever way to cook cauliflower because it half boils and half steams in the tomato and olive sauce. Start by making the sauce in a pan big enough for the cauliflower later. Add chopped red onion, garlic, chopped cauliflower stalk and olive oil in the pan and let it softened for ten minutes. Add a handful of olives, anchovy and finely chopped parsley stalks and let them cook for a couple of minutes before adding the tinned tomatoes and a good swig of red wine vinegar. Stir everything together and bring to a boil.

I suggest you check the seasoning at this point before putting in the cauliflower as it's gonna be tricky to stir the sauce once the cauliflower is in the pan. Take the cauliflower and gently push it down into the sauce. Drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil, put the lid on and let it simmer on low heat for fifty minutes. In this time, your home will be filled with the most beautiful smell... so, enjoy!

I serve the dish in the pan the cauliflower has cooked in and it looks rather pretty; different because cauliflower is normally broken into florets.


It's the perfect accompaniment to roast lamb, but sometimes, I like to have this with just a big piece of crusty bread and use the bread to soak up all the sauce. Delish!

6 comments:

  1. what a great way to cook cauliflower, I have never tried it that way! It does look delicious!!
    thanks so much for sharing!

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  2. I am sure it is delicious, but in kind of looks like a giant brain...LOL

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  3. Wow, Michael! This sounds and looks hearty and delicious. This is a great new and inventive way to make cauliflower and you definitely hit the mark.

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  4. Oh! What a nice dish...looks so pretty the way you cooked the cauliflower...will have to try it.

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  5. Just catching up on your blog Michael, what yummy things you have been up to! I had to comment on this one because I love it! This is the third recipe I have found for a whole cauliflower! Wonderful!

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  6. ├┤eck! What a great way to cook cauli, whole. I simply have to give this a go. Then reap the taste reward. ☺

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