Creative Cooking with Southern Flair!
Roasted Cauliflower
with
Curry Aioli
"Roasted cauliflower, brushed with a curry, cilantro aioli, finished with a Calabrian chili, chimichurri & fresh lime."
Ingredients
Curry Aioli
1 cup mayonnaise
½ to 3/4 teaspoons minced, garlic
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon yellow, curry powder
1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
Calabrian Chili Chimichurri
½ teaspoon white vinegar
1/3 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons mild tasting, olive oil (not bitter)
¼ cup jarred, chopped, Calabrian Chili Peppers in oil
1/3 teaspoon minced, garlic
2 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped, flat leaf parsley
Small pinch of salt
Roasted Cauliflower
Note: Pork lard can substituted with more ghee for vegetarian.
1 cauliflower about 6" diameter
Flakey sea salt
Ghee, room temperature
Pork lard, room temperature (or bacon fat)
Rimmed 9"x13" baking sheet
Parchment paper
Cake tester to check for doneness
1 lime
Directions
Curry Aioli
Add all of the ingredients to a small food processor and pulse until the cilantro is finely chopped.
Calabrian Chili Chimichurri
Mix the vinegar and sugar together in a small bowl to dissolve. Mix in the olive oil and then the remaining ingredients. Set aside until ready to use.
Roasted Cauliflower
Preheat oven to 425F.
Remove the stem leaves from the bottom-side of cauliflower. Wash cauliflower well, then shake off as much water as possible and place on your work surface. Rub some of the sea salt all over the surface of the cauliflower and sprinkle some into the open areas on the bottom-side. Melt a few tablespoons of the fats you're using (equal parts) and pour into the openings on the bottom-side. Mix equal parts of the room-temp fats together in the palms of your hands (or brush) and liberally rub all over the surface of the cauliflower, including the bottom.
Place the cauliflower on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the center of oven. Roast for 20 minutes, then baste with the drippings using a spoon. Roast another 20 minutes, then test for doneness by sliding your cake tester into the thick part of the cauliflower. If if goes through with little resistance, remove from oven and baste. If not, baste again and roast another 5-10 minutes and then test for doneness again. While hot, brush liberally with some of the aioli. Let cool about 10-15 minutes and brush again. Lift the cauliflower from the baking sheet using a wide spatula and place into a serving dish. Spoon the rest of the aioli around the bottom sides so that it puddles around the serving dish. Spoon the Calabrian chili, chimichurri over the top, then slice the cauliflower in half, down the center, right before serving. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the top and enjoy!