For Best Chefs America
Try Best Chef Charles Draghi's recipe for roasted cauliflower that he makes at Boston's beloved Italian restaurant Erbaluce.
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower
4 ozs. of taleggio cheese (or fontina for a milder flavor), cut into 4 strips
8 large sage leaves
1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 cup of golden raisins
2 TBS of salt-packed capers (rinsed), reserve a small amount of the anchovy salt
6 salt-packed anchovy filets (rinsed)
1/2 cup EVOO
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
4 large sprigs of parsely
Fresh ground white pepper, to taste
Method:
1) In a roasting pan, season the cauliflower head with the anchovy salt and some white pepper. Place 6 of the sage leaves and half of the garlic slices inside the cauliflower between the florettes. Roast the cauliflower in a medium-high heat oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the thickest part of the head looks translucent.
2) Remove the cauliflower from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes.
3) In the meantime, make the dressing by combining the rest of the garlic, sage, half of the parsely sprigs, the lemon, EVOO, 2 anchovy filets and half of the capers in a mortar. Mash with the pestle until the mixture is a fine pesto. You can also use a blender for this. Stir in the raisins and remaining capers once the sauce is made. Add white pepper to taste. This sauce becomes even better in flavor if made a couple days in advance and allowed to sit covered in a refrigerator.
4) Break the roasted cauliflower into large florettes and arrange into 4 clusters on the roasting pan. Place a piece of taleggio on top of each cluster and return it to the oven, just long enough to melt the cheese.
5) Serve the cauliflower on plates with the caper and raisin sauce spooned around, garnished with the remaining parsley.
Serves 4
