Crispy Cauliflower With Lemon Aioli Recipes

LEMONY CAULIFLOWER WITH GARLIC AND HERBS

Steps:

• Finely grate the zest of the lemon into a large heatproof bowl, then halve the lemon and squeeze in juice. Stir in salt to dissolve it. Add cauliflower, jalapeño, scallions, dill and parsley and toss to combine. In a large skillet, heat olive oil until hot, but not smoking. Add garlic and cumin, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in red-pepper flakes.
• Pour mixture over cauliflower and toss well. Let cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 48 hours to let the flavors mingle.
• Toss well before serving, adding more salt or a squeeze of lemon to taste. For the best flavor, serve at room temperature.

CAULIFLOWER AND AIOLI

Steps:

• Steam the cauliflower al dente.
• Whisk the garlic into the egg yolks.
• Whisk in the oil very gradually.
• Put the aioli (garlic-egg yolk sauce) into a small bowl standing on a flat plate.
• Arrange florets around bowl.

CRISPY CAULIFLOWER CAKES

Steps:

• For the cauliflower cakes: In a large bowl, mix the cauliflower, cornstarch, flour, curry powder, cumin, eggs, green onions, garlic and good pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Scoop 2-tablespoon portions of the mixture, form into patties and put on a plate.
• Heat 1/2 inch of oil to around 350 degrees F in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet. Add the patties in batches and fry until golden and crisp, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with sea salt.
• For the yogurt sauce: Mix the yogurt, lemon zest and juice and cilantro in a small bowl. Season with kosher salt, pepper and hot sauce.
• Place the cakes on a platter and dress each with a little of the yogurt sauce, then garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve the remaining sauce on the side.

COLD CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH AIOLI AND CLAMS

Steps:

• To make the soup, place the clams, white wine, garlic and 1 teaspoon of butter in a large pot over high heat. Cover and steam for 5 to 7 minutes, until the clams are open but still very tender. Strain the mixture. Reserve the clam broth, which should equal about 1 1/2 cups. Pick the meat from the clams, set aside and discard the shells and garlic.
• In a large pot over medium heat, saute the onions in the remaining butter until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the rice, 2 cups of the milk and the reserved clam broth and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, remove 2 cups of the smallest florets from the cauliflower and set aside. Remove the coarse stems from the cauliflower and discard. Chop the remaining cauliflower and add to the rice mixture, along with another cup of milk, after the rice has cooked for 15 minutes. Cover and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 8 minutes.
• Puree the rice and cauliflower mixture in a food processor and return to a saucepan. Add the remaining milk and stir until a velvety, souplike consistency has been achieved. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the small cauliflower florets, stir, cover and simmer until soft, about 10 minutes. Stir to avoid sticking and add more milk if necessary to keep the consistency of the soup constant.
• Meanwhile, to make the aioli sauce, place the garlic cloves, egg yolk, salt, pepper and lemon juice in a blender and pulverize completely. Combine the oils and, while the blender is on, slowly drizzle the oil into the yolk mixture. Blend until the mixture has the texture of mayonnaise. Transfer to a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Ladle the soup into 6 bowls. Place a dollop of aioli in the center of each, arrange 6 cooked clams in a circle around the aioli, garnish with parsley and serve immediately.