Cauliflower “Couscous”

FEEDS 8 TO 10

My friend and former partner Govind Armstrong and I developed this as part of our opening menu at Chadwick. It’s not couscous, but cauliflower that is chopped into tiny pieces that look exactly like couscous. As we started breaking the cauliflower into smaller and smaller pieces, we realized that the texture was similar to couscous, so we added flavors similar to those you’d find in couscous. It was a great coup, something for which we got a lot of attention. Eric Ripert asked us if he could use the dish at his New York City restaurant, Le Bernardin; of course, we were honored. I’ve flavored the couscous all sorts of ways, with cinnamon, curry, and raisins, or with mint, pepper, and tomato. I kept this one light and refreshing, with lots of fresh mint and pine nuts, which go great with the lamb.

3 heads CAULIFLOWER (about 1¹/₂ pounds each)

KOSHER SALT and freshly ground BLACK PEPPER

2 to 4 tablespoons OLIVE OIL

2 teaspoons CUMIN SEEDS

1 large YELLOW ONION, finely diced

3 GARLIC CLOVES, minced or grated

2 ROASTED PIQUILLO PEPPERS (from a jar), minced

1 SERRANO CHILE, seeded and minced

¹/₂ cup PINE NUTS, lightly toasted (see Toasting Nuts)

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh MINT LEAVES

2 tablespoons fresh LEMON JUICE

1 tablespoon UNSALTED BUTTER

Using the stem of the cauliflower as a handle, hold the head sideways and use a large knife to shave the cauliflower as thin as possible. Turn the head to shave all sides until you are left holding just the stem. Repeat with the remaining heads of cauliflower. Working in batches, put one-quarter to one-third of the cauliflower shavings in a food processor and pulse a few times until the cauliflower is the size of couscous. Turn the cauliflower “couscous” out into a bowl and repeat with the remaining cauliflower.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt for each quart of water. Create an ice bath. Line a baking sheet with a dish towel or paper towels. Add the cauliflower to the boiling water and blanch it for 1 minute. Drain the cauliflower in a fine-mesh strainer and plunge the strainer into the ice bath for 2 to 3 minutes, to stop the cauliflower from cooking. Lift out the cauliflower and turn it out onto a towel-lined baking sheet; set aside for about 15 minutes to allow the cauliflower to dry. (You can prepare the cauliflower up to this point several hours in advance.)

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it slides easily in the pan, about 2 minutes. Add the cumin seeds and cook, shaking the pan constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes, until the seeds begin to make a popping noise and jump in the pan. Add the onion, garlic, and ¹/₄ teaspoon salt and sauté until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower, piquillo peppers, and serrano chile and stir to combine. If the cauliflower doesn’t all fit comfortably in your skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a second large skillet over medium-high heat, then transfer the excess cauliflower mixture to that skillet. Cover the pan and steam the cauliflower until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the cauliflower to a large bowl. Add the pine nuts, mint, lemon juice, butter, and ¹/₄ teaspoon pepper and toss to combine. Add more salt and pepper to taste and toss again gently. Serve right away.