Monday, March 17, 2014

Sautéed Cauliflower with Bagna Cauda

Chef Chad Colby created this dish for a restaurant called Chi Spaca. Food and Wine did us a solid by publishing the recipe.

Don't be scared off by the anchovies. By "melting" them into butter or oil, you get a softer flavor that isn't as intense as people expect from anchovies. The other thing you can do is to use white anchovies (packed in olive oil) which are more like sardines and not nearly as pungent as black anchovies only because of the way they are processed. The white anchovies will not completely melt into the oil like the black ones do. 

This recipe works great with Brussel Sprouts as well.

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
10 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and finely chopped
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 head of cauliflower (2 1/2 pounds), halved lengthwise and sliced through the core into 6 wedges
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add the garlic, anchovies, 1/4 cup of the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is softened and the anchovies are melted, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the bagna cauda from the heat and keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, blanch the cauliflower wedges until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain the cauliflower and transfer it to a paper towel–lined plate; pat thoroughly to dry.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until shimmering. Add the cauliflower and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until cooked through and golden brown on both sides, 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the cauliflower to plates and spoon some of the bagna cauda on top. Top with the parsley and the remaining 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and serve with the remaining bagna cauda.

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