Cauliflower is in season at the moment…and the specimens I have seen at my local stores have been pristine (and on sale!). The abundance inspired me to feature cauliflower in my February newsletter… sautéed in a pasta with chickpeas… roasted in a Mediterranean spiced bulgur pilaf with carrots (and more chickpeas). Because cauliflower has been a constant presence in my kitchen for the last month or so, I have been eating a lot of it. And I suppose I have been more tuned in than usual to how other cooks are preparing it as I scroll my social media feeds, thumb through food magazines and cookbooks, etc.
This past week, Diana
Henry’s weekly newsletter for The Telegraph featured a recipe for Cauliflower
Risotto with Pangrattato (fried breadcrumbs) in the “week in recipes”
section. I was of course curious to see how
she might be treating the cauliflower, so I clicked through. And I loved what I found. Since I had cauliflower on hand I decided to
use her recipe as a starting point for my Sunday supper.
The main thing I loved
about her recipe was the fact that she cooked the cauliflower in the broth that
she then used to cook the risotto. Any
time I can enhance the flavor of a dish by using the liquid the vegetables were
cooked in to finish the dish, I always try to do it. I frequently cook vegetables destined for a
pasta sauce in the pasta water…and many years ago I shared a Risotto-style
Farro with Asparagus that uses water the asparagus stems have been cooked
in for the cooking of the farro.
The method she used to
cook the cauliflower for the risotto also reminded me of a cauliflower
& broccoli pasta recipe I had just made. Both recipes instruct you to poach large
florets of cauliflower until just tender (not mushy). In Henry’s risotto recipe, she then allows the
stirring action during the final half of making of the risotto to break the
florets down further into smaller florets and nubbins. In my pasta, I rough chop the poached cauliflower
before finishing it in the sauce. I
decided to use the method I use when I make the pasta to make the risotto
(since it allows me a little more control).
Bucatini with Cauliflwer, Broccoli, Pine Nuts & Currants--a recipe that uses a similar method for cooking the cauliflower and broccoli
I think it would be fair
to say that I used Henry’s recipe mostly for inspiration. I added some julienne prosciutto and lemon
zest to the pasta with the cooked cauliflower (I think cauliflower gets a boost
from a little extra salt and a little lemon). And because I always like to see some of what’s
in my risotto perched on top of my risotto, I held back about
a quarter of the poached cauliflower, cut it into smaller, attractive florets
and then sautéed them in a little butter.
I think they make a lovely garnish…but you could of course skip this
step.
Other than her method of
cooking the cauliflower, the only thing I copied was the final addition of
toasted breadcrumbs (Pangrattato). I love finishing pastas (see the
aforementioned cauliflower & broccoli pasta), savory tarts, gratins, etc.
with crisped breadcrumbs. I don’t know
why it never occurred to me to top a risotto with them. They add the perfect garlicky crunch.
I love breadcrumbs used
in this way so much that I try to keep a bag of coarse “fresh” breadcrumbs in
my freezer. As it happens when I made
the risotto this time, I didn’t have any.
But since I always have sliced bread in my freezer, I just took out a
slice, cut the crust off and used a large-holed grater to grate the still
frozen bread into coarse crumbs. It worked
perfectly.
Before I close, I wanted
to give a quick plug for my newsletter, Notes from For Love of the Table.
I know newsletters are becoming ubiquitous. But there is a reason for that. They are a great way to get the work you do
directly to the people who enjoy what you do.
For the writer/creator/recipe developer, they are a reasonable way to earn
a living from the actual work they do, rather than relying on irrelevant and
intrusive ads. So…if you like the
recipes I share…and the way that I share them…I hope you will check it out—and consider
subscribing. I will continue to post free content here on my blog as I am
able. But I’ll be honest and admit that my
creative energies go first to my newsletter and my private dinner service. My newsletter comes out once a month and usually includes three recipes (sometimes more). I also share tips and tricks to help make your life in the kitchen easier. You can see a list of the things I have shared since the newsletter's inception here.
Whether or not you subscribe, I do hope you'll give this risotto a try. It is delicious... subtle, light, and satisfying. A perfect way to enjoy cauliflower.
Cauliflower
Risotto with Prosciutto & Crisped Garlic Breadcrumbs
1 1/2 T. unsalted butter
1/2 of a medium onion (about 3 oz.), finely diced
1 small (or half a large) clove of garlic, minced
2 1/2 c. chicken stock
7 oz. large (1 1/2 to 2 inches) cauliflower florets
2/3 c. Arborio or Carnaroli rice
1/3 c. white wine
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1 T. olive oil
1/2 c. coarse breadcrumbs—see notes
1 small (or half a large) clove of garlic
1/2 T. minced parsley
3/4 to 1 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto (2 slices), cut
crosswise in 1/4-inch strips
1 t. lemon zest
1 to 1 1/2 T. butter
1/3 c. (1 oz.) finely grated Parmesan
1 T. minced flat-leaf parsley
Heat 1 1/2 T. of the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sweat until very soft, but not brown—about 10 minutes.
Cut the cauliflower in large florets
While the onions cook, place the chicken stock in
a small saucepan, cover the pan, and bring to a simmer. Add the cauliflower florets and cover. Simmer until just tender to the tip of a
knife—about 5 minutes. Use tongs or a
slotted spoon to lift the florets out of the stock. Place them on a plate. Cover the stock and keep it hot for the
cooking of the risotto.
When the onions are soft, add the rice and continue to cook for 2 or 3 minutes—or until the rice is hot and the grains look pearly white in the center. Add the wine and cook until the pan is nearly dry. Begin to add the stock. Add enough so that the stock is at the same level as the rice in the pan. Adjust the heat so that the rice cooks at a slow and gentle simmer. When the pan is nearly dry, add more stock and season lightly with salt & pepper. Continue to stir and cook the rice, adding more stock as each addition is absorbed.
While the rice is cooking, sauté the breadcrumbs and finish preparing the cauliflower: Warm a tablespoon of olive oil in a small nonstick pan set over moderately high heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring regularly until they are golden and crisp—a minute or two. Turn off the heat and using a microplaner, grate the small clove of garlic into the pan and add a half tablespoon of parsley along with a pinch of salt. Stir until fragrant. Scrape the seasoned crumbs onto a plate and set aside. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel and set the pan aside.
Take a quarter of the cooked cauliflower and cut it into smaller (1-inch or less), attractive florets. Set aside. Coarsely chop the remaining cooked cauliflower. You should have a rough mixture of small and medium pieces.
When the rice is about half cooked (after about 10 minutes of cooking), stir in the chopped cauliflower, prosciutto, and lemon zest. Continue to cook, stir and add stock until the rice is al dente—about 10 minutes more (for a total about 20 minutes from the time of the first addition of stock). If you run out of hot stock, you can finish the risotto with boiling water.
Two or three minutes before the risotto is done, return the pan the breadcrumbs were toasted in to a moderately high flame and add a half tablespoon of butter to the pan. When the foam subsides, add the reserved cauliflower and let sizzle until golden in spots, stirring/tossing once or twice. Season with salt and remove the pan from the heat.
When the risotto is done, remove from the heat and add a tablespoon of butter, the Parmesan and a tablespoon of parsley. Stir until the risotto is very creamy. Cover and let rest off of the heat for a minute or two. Taste and correct the seasoning. Divide the risotto among two shallow bowls, spoon the cauliflower garnish over each and shower with the toasted breadcrumbs. Serves 2.
Notes:
- The breadcrumbs should be made from a slightly stale, country style loaf. Cut away the crusts and process in the food processor to get a coarse chop. You will need about an ounce of bread with crusts to make a half cup of coarse crumbs. You can make coarse crumbs anytime you have some leftover bread. They keep very well in a ziplock bag in the freezer. If I don’t have crumbs in my freezer, I usually have slices of bread. To get coarse crumbs you can cut the crusts off and grate the still frozen slices on the large holes of a box grater.
- If you don’t want to go to the trouble of sautéing some of the cauliflower for garnish, simply chop all of the cauliflower (instead of 3/4) and add it all to the risotto with the prosciutto and lemon zest.