Cauliflower is pretty much my winter of 2016 hero. I’ve only
recently got into cooking with it, and it has made its way into a
multitude of different dishes, soups and salads this season. It’s a
cheap veggie from the markets, and it easy to grow if you can keep the
Cabbage White Moths away.
I've been playing around with my
Ottolenghi recipes (I'm obsessed!) and thought I'd share this one with
you...yes, it's got cauliflower in it.
It's a CAULIFLOWER AND
PARMESAN CAKE! Ottolenghi suggests serving this “cake” (think: sturdy
baked omelet) as a light dinner with a “makeshift salad of sliced
cucumber, dill, mint, a little sugar, cider vinegar and grape seed oil”.
You can serve it with whatever you like really, steamed greens, snags,
or just wolf it down all on its own. It's been lunch box fare all week
and is pretty awesome.
Ingredients:
1 medium/large cauliflower
1 large red onion, peeled
75mls olive oil
3 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
3 teaspoons picked and chopped thyme leaves
8 eggs
A good handful of parsley (Ottolenghi suggests basil, but it isn’t in
season at the moment and my garden is awash with Italian parsley, so
that is what I used).
Scant 1 1/2 cups plain flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
220 grams of parmesan or aged cheese. I didn’t have quite enough
parmesan in the fridge, so topped up with about 70 grams of grated tasty
and all was well.
Salt and black pepper
Butter, for greasing pan
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
Ottolenghi says to boil your cauliflower, but I chose to roast it
instead. I broke the cauli into small florets and chopped up the stems
too. I tossed the lot in olive oil and a liberal seasoning of salt and
pepper. If you choose to do it this way, omit the extra seasoning later
otherwise it will be salt overload!
Once cauliflower is cooked, preheat oven to (180°C) degrees.
Meanwhile, prepare the batter. Halve your red onion and cut a few thin
rings off the end of one side; set them aside. Coarsely chop the
remainder of your onion. Heat all of your olive oil in a pan and saute
the chopped red onion and rosemary thyme together until soft, about 8
minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Whisk eggs and olive
oil and onion mixture together. Stir in parsley. Whisk flour, baking
powder, turmeric, cheese, (if you have boiled your cauli at this stage
add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and many, many grinds of black pepper together
in a separate bowl) and add to egg mixture, whisking to remove lumps.
Stir in cauliflower gently, so most pieces remain intact.
Line
the bottom of a 24cm round springform pan with baking paper. Butter the
sides generously. Put the sesame seeds in the pan and toss them around
so that they stick to the sides. Pour in the cauliflower batter, arrange
the reserved onion rings on top and bake cake in the center of the oven
for 45 minutes, until golden brown and set.
Serve warm or at
room temperature with a crisp white. Why not try the grassy Freehand Semillon Sav Blanc? It’s an absolute cracker and you can buy it here!
Recipe Time!
Okay, so I have a lovely Spanish friend who
taught me how to make a real-deal Spanish Tortilla. The way he showed
me there weren’t any measurements or the like. Basically make sure your
potato to onion ratio is about 3:2 and that your potato/onion to egg
ratio is about 3:2. Basically you need to make sure you don’t over egg
it, the perfect ratio is what makes it sooooo good! This dish can be
eaten alone, in a sandwich, with a salad or as a side to grilled meats.
It is super versatile. It pairs well with many wines, including
Tempranillo or Verdejo (try the Spanish Vicente Gandia)
or with a good Reisling (try the Hochkirch). It also goes well with
lighter style reds like a Grenache or a light red blend, check out our full selection here.
My own
tip is to choose your fry pan carefully. I usually cook up my potatoes
and onions in a large wok (enough for several tortillas!), and then
cook the actual tortilla in a smaller pan that I know inverts easily and
isn’t too heavy for me to manage. A non-stick pan is essential.
I also know the capacity of my smaller pan, so when I am making my
egg/potato/onion mix I make it to the exact quantity that fits in my
pan. I have a large measuring-mixing jug where I combine the
ingredients before pouring into the hot pan. If you are making enough
for more than one tortilla I recommend combining the egg and veg for
each tortilla individually, that way the heat of the vegetables won’t
cook the eggs before you get it onto the stove!
Below are ingredients for one tortilla
500g potatoes (I haven’t been fussy about what kind, I usually buy mine from a local organic veggie seller who drives around our neighbourhood in his ute!)
1-2 onions
Olive oil
3 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley (optional)
6 eggs
Method
1. Peel the potatoes or leave the skins on, if you prefer. Cut them
into 5mm slices. Cut onion into half rings of the same thickness
2.
Heat a good slug of oil in a large frying pan, add the potatoes and
onion and stew gently, partially covered, for 30 minutes, stirring
occasionally until the potatoes are softened. (add more oil if it’s
sticking or looking dry).
3. Beat the eggs separately, then stir
into the potatoes with the parsley if you like, and plenty of salt and
pepper. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a smaller pan. Tip
everything into the pan and cook on a moderate heat, using a spatula to
shape the omelette into a cushion.
4. When almost set, invert on a
plate and slide back into the pan and cook a few more minutes, until the
middle of the tortilla feels firm, this indicates the egg is all
cooked. Some people prefer to leave it a bit gooey in the middle, this
is up to you! Slide on to a plate and cool for 10 minutes before
serving.
* Variations on this dish are endless! Sometimes I cook
slices of red capsicum with the potatoes and onions, or I add a small
amount of chorizo or some olives. I also like to place some slices of
tomato or some sage leaves in the bottom of the small pan before
carefully pouring the mixture over them, this makes a lovely pattern on
top of your tortilla for serving! It's Spanish goodness on a plate, served with Spanish goodness in a glass!
Stir in cauliflower gently, so most pieces remain intact.
