Whereas cauliflower is a flexible vegetable, I at all times gravitate in the direction of thick wedges basted in a scrumptious sauce, resembling this chile-walnut cauliflower. The cool-weather vegetable turns into a young bit, absorbing each little bit of taste.
Chile Walnut Cauliflower
I discover it pure to pair cauliflower with walnuts as seasoning; they line up within the fall. The marginally tannic walnuts are a pleasant pairing for the fragile brassicas’ taste. Add chile and a little bit of crimson miso, and it is only a strong mixture.
Cauliflower alternate options
At the moment of 12 months, I typically prepare dinner sweet potatoes, winter squash, or broccoli in an identical method to this cauliflower. Minimize your chosen vegetable into ½”-thick wedges, steam till simply tender, and observe the directions for the cauliflower.
Inspiration
This walnut paste is deeply impressed by the ssamjang recipe in Hooni Kim’s excellent book, My Korea. In Kim’s ssamjang recipe, he used doenjang (Korean soybean paste), gochujang, sesame seeds, sesame oil, walnuts, and scallions.
Sooner or later I used to be craving the ssamjang however had run out of doenjang. I went with what I had, which was crimson miso. The end result was scrumptious in its personal method and made the proper punchy companion for this charred cauliflower.
Chile-walnut Paste
This walnut paste is kind of versatile. You may braise or roast different greens and coat them within the combine, make a veggie-heavy sandwich and use it as a variety together with a little bit of mayo, stir it into some cashew cream to make a beautiful dip, or use it with easy noodles and wilted greens. Retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
Cauliflower
- ¾ pound cauliflower (about half of a giant head)
- Olive oil for brushing
Chile-Walnut Paste
- 3 tablespoons (20 g) toasted and finely chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) crimson miso
- 2 tablespoons (24 g) walnut oil
- 1 (20 g) small shallot (minced)
- 2 teaspoons sambal oelek
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Scallions for topping
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For the cauliflower: Trim off the leaves and a small a part of the stem, leaving as a lot stem intact as doable. Minimize the cauliflower into 8 wedges, ensuring to incorporate a part of the stem in every wedge. Don’t fear if items fall off—use them too. Warmth about 1 inch of water in a big pot fitted with a steamer basket over medium-high warmth. Place the cauliflower within the basket, cowl, and prepare dinner till a knife pierces the cauliflower with out hesitation, about 4-5 minutes. Fastidiously take away the cauliflower from the basket, place on a big oven-safe skillet (forged iron works nice right here), and brush with olive oil. Switch to a pizza oven or an oven rack with a preheated broiler, cooking till the cauliflower is charred.
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For the chile-walnut paste: Place all the components in a small bowl and stir to mix. Alternatively, in case you’d like a smoother paste, use a mortar and pestle or a meals processor to mix every part collectively.
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For the scallions: Right here’s one other method I picked up from Kim’s e book. Begin by thinly slicing the scallions on a bias. Place them in a colander and run underneath chilly water for a couple of minutes to rinse off any slime, then switch to a clear towel. Gently dry the scallions in addition to you’ll be able to, then switch to a separate towel to air-dry for 10 extra minutes. If prepping the scallions upfront, retailer them within the fridge with a small towel or paper towel in a sealed container.
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To assemble: Unfold the walnut paste excessive sides of the cauliflower. Flip, and repeat on the opposite sides. If any florets break off, toss them within the paste as properly. Switch the cauliflower to a serving bowl and prime with the scallions.
