Roasted Cauliflower recipe by Chef Nancy Silverton, in association with FBAI and American pistachio growers.

 

Recently I was invited by FBAI  to join an hour long discussion and recipe demonstration using American Pistachio. The event was organized by American Pistachio growers and the recipe demonstration was done by none other than the renowned chef, Baker, and author Nancy Silverton.

The event started on a very interesting note of a virtual pistachio harvest in the farms of California. It gave us a peek into the process and culture of collecting pistachios in that region and helped us to see it in a new light.

Till date pistachios were synonymous with desserts and mithais but this event threw new light on this humble nut. American pistachios are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals and contain essential nutrients vital to individual growth and development. This is also considered as a complete protein and only a serving of pistachio contains the same amount of protein found in one egg. In a country like ours with many vegetarian population, this is a piece of very important information and people could use it as a good source of protein in their diet.

Later the charming Nancy Silverton demonstrated two fascinating recipes. On a live session, this James beard foundation's outstanding chef award winner baked one amazing pistachio tart and roasted a whole head of cauliflower with pistachio crumble and green onion creme fraiche. The Cauliflower dish came out really perfect, Sightly charred at the top with clean flavors and a slight tang from the creme fraiche.  Not to mention how healthy it was. We all loved it at home and Since this is the season of tender cauliflowers I decided to share her recipe :

Roasted cauliflower with Pistachio crumble

Recipe:

Step 1: Roasting the cauliflower

Ingredients:

1 each cauliflower, leaves intact

Kosher salt for seasoning cooking water / as needed

3 tbsp / 20 g olive oil blend

2 tsp / 5 g kosher salt

Method:

Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position. Preheat the oven to 374°F (190°C).

Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil. Add kosher salt until the water tastes like the ocean.

Place the whole cauliflower into the water. The cauliflower will float, and the leaves will stick out of the water.

Cook for about 7 minutes. Using tongs, flip the cauliflower so the leaves are submerged and cook for another 3 minutes.

Remove the cauliflower from the water and place onto a baking sheet.

Allow to cool to room temperature.

Pour off any excess water that had accumulated on the sheet pan and wipe dry.

Drizzle the cauliflower with the olive oil blend and sprinkle with 2 tsp (5 g) kosher salt.

Step 2:Green onion Creme Fraiche

Ingredients:

½ cup / 120 g crème fraiche

¼ cup / 30 g scallions, minced

¼ cup / 30 g shallots, minced

1 garlic, grated with Microplane

2 tsp / 6 g kosher salt

½ lemon, juiced

Method:

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients, combine and set aside.

Step 3: Pistachio crumble

Ingredients:

¼ cup / 55 g blended olive oil

¼ cup / 30 g whole pistachios

3 garlic cloves, smashed

1 each, zest of lemon, peeled with peeler

2 tbsp / 3 g fresh oregano, finely chopped

1 tsp / 1 g fresh thyme, finely chopped

½ tsp / 3 g kosher salt

Method:

In a small sauce pot, combine oil, pistachios, garlic, and lemon zest and cook over medium heat until the

garlic is light golden brown, and the nuts are toasted. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. 

In a food processor, add the mixture, oregano, thyme and salt. Pulse the mixture until the lemon zest is broken down and the nuts are chopped. The mixture will be like a chunky paste.

Step 4: Assemble and serve

Plate the cauliflower on a serving dish and spread the crumble on top. Serve with the creme fraiche and an extra sprinkling of green onion on top.