CASE OF THE GIANT CAULIFLOWER – GOAT
Appetizer, sides, snacks, do whatever you want with it. Just please enjoy the process and the reward! Roasted cauliflower at its best! Bon vivant! I’m going to categorize this as animal-free shellfish!
Serves 6 or more, depending…
Okay, I forgot to weigh it – and yes after all these many years I do have a scale – food scale. Take my word for it – it is gigantic. I think I paid 3 dollars for it at Lucky’s Market. My lucky day. I had a hankering for the texture I can produce by roasting. Needs some oil though to do it right. Am I going to be a stickler for fat-free, or…
1 gigantic cauliflower head. Now, I have these squeeze/squirt/drizzle bottles I bought at Gordon’s Food Store, about a block away, to put my various oils in, so that pouring from a bottle doesn’t make me waste oil or oil too much.
Wait and Watch: You’ll be surprised.
- Line baking sheet cake pan with parchment paper.
- Cut off the bottom stem of the cauliflower flush with the body. Then gouge inward and around the inner core, like you’re gouging out an eye, and remove the core. Discard eye of core. Then wash off entire cauliflower head.
- Place head on parchment paper.
- Using your drizzle bottle with extra virgin olive oil in it, place the nozzle between and along the cracks of what looks like a big brain. Also drizzle on top of all the lobes, and watch the brain white matter absorb the extra virgin olive oil like a sponge. I used about 1/4 cup.
- SHOCKING! I had no idea it did that. Maybe I wasn’t paying attention last time I roasted a cauliflower – I just applied almost like rote without thought of the process. Who thought there would be one? Not me. Being so big – the brain – made me pay attention. The crevices were illuminated by their size.
- 1 t. salt sprinkled evenly over entire surface.
- Into a cold oven set at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Just to check and plan my next move.
- The long two-pronged fork inserted went in about 3/4 inch soft, then hit rock. The surface skin was not yet browned.
- Twenty more minutes, after which the fork went in 1 inch near bottom and less near middle.
- Reduce heat to 300 degrees. One hour more. Done to perfection. Evenly browned. Remove from oven. Let cool to room temperature.
3/4 c. fresh squeezed and strained lemon juice
6 lg. garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Microwave the garlic in the lemon juice for 2 minutes, or heat on stove over low heat, covered, till garlic softens a little in the lemon juice. We don’t want the juice to evaporate by overcooking it, so use a cover and be done with it quickly.
Break roasted cauliflower apart, place into large bowl, cover with garlic lemon juice, sprinkle with salt to taste, toss, then pack up in covered container and refrigerate till ready to use.
Notes: Roasted cauliflower, if slow-roasted long enough textures like seafood shellfish. Melt a little margarine to dip each piece into after reheating and you will be in lobster heaven – and nobody had to die for it!! Or be tortured by being cooked alive. Yes, to cauliflower shellfish!!
ANIMAL-FREE SOUS-CHEF™ 