Cauliflower Clafoutis with Ham and Parsley
Tim Maddams
LATIN NAME
Brassica oleracea var. botrytis
SEASONALITY
Home-grown generally available all year round; also imported
MORE RECIPES
Cauliflower and nigella soup; Roasted cauliflower with capers; Scallops with cauliflower purée and green peppercorns
In the extended family of veg, I think of cauliflower as the exotic cousin of the cabbage, hiding its beauty inside its leaves in a coy, almost flirty way. Cauliflower is, after all, a thwarted flower – its curds are under-formed blooms and within the plant’s flesh is a high concentration of nutrients, intended for flowers and fruits that will never be. One of the few white foods we should eat more of, cauliflowers, along with other cruciferous veg (another umbrella term for the Brassica family), are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, as well as valuable antioxidants and phytonutrients that may help protect against cancer.
Like cabbages, cauliflowers come in two main types, summer and winter. Within these categories, there are different varieties, flourishing at different times of the year, which means you never need be without a cauli. In theory at least, there should be a pretty much year-round crop, though gaps in supply are filled with cauliflowers from other countries sometimes.
In addition to the classic white cauliflowers, there are some more unusual types to seek out. ‘Romanesco’ (sometimes described as broccoli rather than cauliflower) is a great autumn cauli, outlandish-looking but very tasty. Its distinctive, pale green spirals have a sweet, delicate vibrancy that makes it a stand-out variety for using raw.
Purple-hued cauliflower varieties, such as ‘Violetta Italia’ and ‘Purple Cape’ look, frankly, a little odd but again deliver well on sweetness, harbouring little of the bitter after-taste of some varieties. Purple cauli is good raw but also makes a tasty purée and a great addition to a summer-garden minestra (soup).
In all cases, look for cauliflowers with firm, tight heads and plenty of lush-looking leaf – which is just as tasty as the florets, and an indication of freshness. A bright white stalk also suggests recent cutting. Summer varieties tend to be a little sweeter and more suited to eating raw.
There is nothing wrong with good old cauliflower cheese but this vegetable really comes to life when used in other ways. Cauliflower makes a wonderful, silky purée or soup, for instance: it contains lots of pectin in its cell walls, which contributes to a smooth texture. Cook the cauliflower without water, sweating it in butter until softened and browned, before blending with a little milk or veg stock if needed.
Indeed, you should never be afraid to get some colour on your cauliflower. This is a vegetable that responds deliciously to being fried, grilled or roasted so that it caramelises. Fresh, sweet cauliflower is fantastic barbecued, for instance. Remove the leaves and halve the heads, then cut each half into 3 wedges, making sure they are firmly held together by a useful amount of stalk. Dress with a little olive oil, some salt, pepper, a sprinkle of smoked paprika and a few thyme leaves, then grill on the barbecue (or roast in a hot oven) until just tender and turning golden. Finish with more oil, chopped raw garlic, lemon juice and plenty of chopped parsley and mint.
Cauliflower loves spices, and a cauliflower pakora is a thing of joy. Cut wedges, stem and all, into slices the thickness of a £1 coin, toss in spiced gram (chickpea) flour, then moisten the mixture with a little beer to create a sticky but not runny mess that will hold together on deep-frying (adding the liquid after the flour results in a thinner, crisper batter). Deep-fry spoonfuls of the mix until golden and serve straight away with a little garlicky yoghurt, chopped spring onions and flaky salt as a starter.
The caramelisation and sweetening that you get by cooking cauliflower suits it perfectly but, for all that, a superbly fresh, sweet summer specimen is excellent raw – marinated with a little citrus and chilli and made into a salad. Cut the florets off the stalk (save the stalk and trimmings for a soup or curry) and cut the florets very small, no bigger than a marble. You can also simply grate the cauliflower against the coarse side of a box grater or blitz it in a food processor. Dress with the juice of a lemon and a good glug of rapeseed oil, season with a sprinkling of dried chilli flakes and salt and leave to marinate for an hour or so before serving. The raw crunch is seriously good – a lovely dish for a late-summer mezze.
However you’re cutting your cauliflower, don’t discard the leaves. The really tough-ribbed outer ones can go to your pig, rabbit or compost heap, but those beautifully curved, inner, tender leaves are great in slaws or even steamed as a side veg.
If you don’t know how fresh your cauliflower is, taste a little of it, raw. You can’t make a silk purse of a sow’s ear and long-stored cauli which is bitter or turning soft won’t be any good raw. It will, however, pass muster in a roasted cauliflower purée.
CAULIFLOWER CLAFOUTIS WITH HAM AND PARSLEY
For this quick supper dish, little florets of roasted cauliflower nestle in a light, Parmesan-seasoned batter, along with shreds of salty ham. Serves 4
75g plain flour
3 medium eggs
300ml whole milk
2 tbsp chopped parsley, plus a little extra to serve
50g Parmesan, or a similar hard, mature cheese, grated
2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
1 cauliflower (about 800g), trimmed and cut into medium florets
50g air-dried ham, torn into large shreds (or use cooked ham or scraps of fried bacon)
Sea salt and black pepper
Put the flour into a large bowl with a generous pinch of salt. Beat the eggs and milk thoroughly together, then gradually whisk into the flour to form a smooth batter. Stir in the chopped parsley and half the grated Parmesan. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 210°C/Fan 190°C/Gas 7. Spoon the oil into a roasting dish and place in the oven for a few minutes to heat up.
Add the cauliflower florets to the roasting dish and shake them to coat in the oil, then season lightly with salt and pepper – go sparingly with the salt as the ham will add more.
Add the shredded ham, then quickly pour in the batter. Give the dish a shake to distribute the batter evenly, then sprinkle over the remaining cheese and place it straight in the hot oven. Cook for about 30 minutes until puffed and golden.
Serve immediately, with some more chopped parsley sprinkled over, and a green leafy salad on the side if you like.