Lovers of cauliflower and cheese, you need to pay attention. I’ve tasted something that just may rival that cheesy baked cauliflower many of us have grown to adore. It’s a recipe that was brought to my attention by fab food and travel blogger David, of Cocoa & Lavender ; something he and his partner tried whilst in New Orleans, at Domenica, an Italian restaurant by chefs Alon Shaya and John Besh.
Domenica means Sunday in Italian and it’s located in the stunning Roosevelt Hotel; serving up rustic Italian food in a contemporary setting. All I can say is that I’m kicking myself for not knowing about this place when we were in New Orleans late last year.
The cauliflower is served whole. First cooked in an aromatic and beautifully spiced broth, it then gets a blast in a hot oven, burnishing the surface and filling the kitchen with a wonderful aroma.
The cheese component is a purée of feta, cream cheese and goat cheese. Plus some cream and virgin olive oil. I went a little further and added a herb from my back garden – santolina rosmarinifolia – otherwise known as olive herb or holy flax. It’s a small shrub that originates from south west Europe, has thin leaves that look like lavender, but have the aroma of pickled black olives. It was a given that I blended some with the cheeses and used sprigs as garnish. Another thing I added was some toasted pine nuts; something that goes beautifully with all the other flavours.
The cooking liquid can be frozen and reused, if you wish.
Recipe slightly adapted from here
Course | Vegetables |
Cuisine | Italian |
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