Roasted cauliflower can be made into many unique variations - Photo: Christopher Testani
Boiled broccoli is delicious (as long as you don’t overcook it to the point of mushy), says New York Times recipe developer Ali Slagle. But there’s something particularly appealing about the crisp, creamy florets and sweet, tender stems of roasted broccoli.
"Once you've mastered the basics of roasting cauliflower, all you need is oil, salt, and a high-heat oven. Dressing up and changing up your batch in these ways will keep your cauliflower from getting boring at every meal.
At that point, the exclamation of "cauliflower, again?" will become a little more cheerful: "Great! Cauliflower again," says Ali Slagle.
Crispy Cheese Crust for Cauliflower
Ali Slagle says the combination of broccoli and cheese proves that opposites attract. One thing to note when choosing cheese for this dish is that you can choose any type, but fresh cheese will be more susceptible to the heat of the oven.
Grilled cheese with cauliflower - Photo: Nico Schinco
Roasted cauliflower pairs best with Cheddar, a cheese with a firm texture, mild flavor, and an off-white to light orange color. Grate the Cheddar into thin layers, sprinkle over the cauliflower, and bake until the cheese turns from melted to crispy, golden brown.
At that time, each green broccoli will be covered with a layer of crispy golden brown. The salty taste of cheese combined with the fresh taste of broccoli will make a difference.
We can eat this baked cauliflower with cheese with chicken cutlets, sausages, mashed beans... or eat it directly from the baking tray by hand.
Combined with orange and lemon scent
The flavor of orange, lemon or other fruit peels will help make cauliflower more fragrant, especially when combined at high temperatures - that is, when grilled.
Orange zest adds sweetness to cauliflower, especially when combined with other savory ingredients like oyster sauce. We can try this recipe combining roasted cauliflower with garlic, orange, sesame.
Roasted cauliflower then stir-fried with garlic, orange, sesame - Photo: Craig Lee
After just 15 minutes in the oven, the broccoli will be crispy and browned on the edges with tender stems. Saute the roasted broccoli with sliced garlic in olive oil until sweet and nutty, add oyster sauce, a little sesame seeds and a few slices of orange for an extra burst of flavor.
There is also a recipe for roasted cauliflower with lemon. Grate the skin and squeeze some lemon juice over the roasted cauliflower, add a pinch of crushed red pepper for an attractive vegetable dish.
Serve with butter and lemon juice.
You can also combine the crunchy taste of roasted cauliflower with the richness of Miso butter and a little sourness from lemon juice. This dish is great to eat with grilled salmon, chicken or to add flavor to leftovers, quick to cook dishes.
Grilled broccoli with butter and lemon juice - Photo: Bobbi Lin
Once the butter is soft enough, it can be mashed and spread over the broccoli. As it bakes, the butter will melt, mix with the lemon juice, and quickly soak into the juicy, green broccoli.
Grilled with bacon
According to expert Ali Slagle, the charred edges of cauliflower can be the best part because they are super crunchy. You can double up on that crunch by adding bacon.
The bacon gives it a rich, crunchy flavor, and the broccoli is also crunchy but releases a little more moisture from the vegetable, soaking into the meat.
Bacon adds crunch to roasted broccoli - Photo: Christopher Testani
The recipe for "Roasted Cauliflower with Bacon" instructs to roast the cauliflower and bacon at high heat to beautifully char the edges and render the fat from the meat just enough. Finally, add a little vinegar and garlic to make the dish more fragrant.
Add seeds
One unusual combination that The New York Times recommends is to sprinkle some seeds on top of the cauliflower for extra richness and flavor. The simplest version is to sprinkle some sesame seeds directly on top.
But that's not all, we can try the recipe for "broccoli salad with peanuts and tahini-lemon dressing".
The eye-catching green of this broccoli salad with peanuts and tahini-lemon dressing - Photo: Bryan Gardner
While many broccoli salads are made with mayonnaise, this one is inspired by the bright flavors of Thai cuisine and uses sesame oil, lime juice, peanuts, green onions, and a dash of hot sauce to give the roasted broccoli a spicy kick. The salad can be garnished with fresh basil.
This recipe adds richness to the dish thanks to the combination of the nutty flavor of the peanuts, the crunch of the roasted cauliflower, and the richness of the dressing. This salad is best eaten the same day.
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