Cauliflower, 4 ways
Conopida în 4 feluri este un preparat complex, care necesită răbdare și timp. Cu o bună gestiune în bucătărie, te poți încadra în mai puțin de două ore de gătit efectiv, fără a pune la socoteală timpul în care aștepți. Varianta prin fierbere este mult mai rapidă decât cea care implică sous-vide, care are însă avantajul unui gust mult mai intens. Dacă o alegi pe a doua, recomand împărțirea rețetei pe două zile: într-o zi pregătești ingredientele, iar a doua zi le gătești și te bucuri de ele.
To make it easier to follow, I have divided the recipe into sections, in the order of their cooking: puree, sauce, steak, truffle, wings. You'll find the list of ingredients and equipment needed for each item, then a list of all the instructions.
Experiment with this cauliflower, 4 ways recipe and you'll see how a simple ingredient can be transformed into a refined, vegan dish with minimal waste.
- 120 grams alune de pădure (unsalted raw)
- 2 cauliflowers (small or medium)
- 0,5 liters apă (filtered)
- 1 rosemary (spring)
- 2 tablespoons ulei de trufe
- 1-2 tablespoons miso (depending on how salty it is)
- 1 tablespoons fulgi de drojdie inactivă
- knife
- chopping board
- pot
- colander
- food processor
- silicone spatula
- 1 teaspoons cimbru uscat
- 1 teaspoons usturoi praf
- 1 tablespoons ulei de floarea soarelui
- 1 tablespoons fum lichid (optional)
- 1 tablespoons tamari (or soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoons apă
- 2 tablespoons sos de soia gros (or fig/date syrup)
- small pot
- set of measuring spoons
- cooking stove
- silicone spatula
- 4 cauliflower slices
- 1 tablespoons boia afumată
- 1 tablespoons usturoi praf
- 1/4 teaspoons sare afumată (to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoons piper (to taste)
- 3-4 tablespoons ulei pentru prăjit
- chef knife
- chopping board
- cast iron pan (or other type)
- kitchen tongs (or fork)
- baking tray
- silicone mat (or baking paper)
- air fryer (or oven)
- the remaining cauliflower leaves (cooked earlier)
- 60 grams resturi de pâine fără gluten (or breadcrumbs)
- 1/4 horseradish root (grated)
- 20 grams semințe de in
- 1/4 teaspoons sare
- food processor
- pan
- wooden spoon
- bol mic
- 4 cauliflower florets (medium-sized, the ones saved earlier)
- 1 tablespoons semințe de in (ground)
- 1 tablespoons semințe de cânepă (ground)
- 1/4 teaspoons sare neagră
- 1/4 teaspoons turmeric
- 2 tablespoons apă
- 1 + 1/2 tablespoons făină de orez
- 50 milliliters apă
- 2 tablespoons fulgi de hrișcă, măcinați (or ground corn flakes)
- 50 milliliters ulei pentru prăjire (if you choose this method)
- small pot
- bowls
- wisk
- coffee grinder
- tray (if you chose the air fry method)
- silicone mat (if you chose the air fry method)
- kitchen tongs (if you chose the deep fry method)
- metal cup or small frying pot (to minimize oil use, if you chose the deep fry method)
- plate (if you chose the deep fry method)
- paper towels (to soak up excess oil, if you chose the deep fry method)
- gas/electrical stove or air fryer (depending on the chosen method)
- Preparing the milk
Soak the hazelnuts for 6 hours or, if you are in a hurry, roast them in a pan. Add them into a food processor together with the filtered water and mix at full speed, until you get milk (no need to strain).
- Preparing the cauliflower
Carefully remove the cauliflower leaves and keep the youngest ones for plating. Cut each cauliflower in half, then cut a 2-3 cm thick slice from each half. Save the slices and 4 more medium florets for later.
- Slow boiling or sous-vide cooking
Cut the remaining cauliflower florets into small pieces of the same size. Add them into a pot, with the leaves, rosemary and the milk. Boil them on low heat on a stove until the cauliflower is tender, approximately 20-30 minutes. Alternatively, you can use the sous-vide technique, which will enhance the flavours, but take a lot longer. For this second method, add the pieces of cauliflower in a sous-vide bag, add most of the milk and the rosemary. In a separate sous-vide bag, add the remaining cauliflower leaves, chopped into tiny pieces, with some of the milk. Cook both in a sous-vide pot for 4 to 6 hours, oh low setting, until super tender.
- Preparing the purée
Când conopida este pătrunsă, îndepărtează rozmarinul și apoi strecoară laptele. Adaugă într-un robot de bucătărie conopida, uleiul de trufe, miso și fulgii de drojdie nutrițională. Mixează, adăugând cât de mult lapte este necesar pentru ca piureul să aibă consistența dorită. Transferă într-o oală și gătește încă 5-7 minute sau folosește funcția de încălzire a robotului de bucătărie, dacă dispui de așa ceva.
- Preparing the white sauce
If any more milk is left, you can make a sauce with some turmeric, mustard and horseradish powder, to use for plating. Add the ingredients to a small pot, mix well and cook it just enough to thicken it slightly.
- Preparing the sauce
Mix all ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil and let simmer on low heat until thick and ready for plating. Do not forget to stir from time to time.
Din acest sos, vei folosi câteva linguri în varianta intermediară ceva mai lichidă, pentru "friptura" de conopidă.
- Pan frying
Heat the pan with some frying oil in it. Mix the spices and sprinkle them evenly on the cauliflower slices. When the oil gets hot, add as many slices of cauliflower as you can fit in the pan and roast them for 2 minutes on each side.
- Baking and roasting
Transfer the slices to a tray. Add one tablespoon of the sauce on each slice, then bake them for 20 minutes at 180 °C, flipping them over half through.
- Preparing the balls
Add the cauliflower leaves to a food processor, together with the bread, grated horseradish and a pinch of salt. Mix well and then form small balls out of the batter.
- Covering with seeds
Roast the flaxseeds in a pan, then transfer to a small bowl. Roll the balls in the flaxseeds, until covered completely.
- Blanching the cauliflower
Boil water in a pot, add the cauliflower florets, let them boil for one minute, then scoop them out and place them in a bowl with ice water. Pat them dry with paper towels.
- Frying the florets
Add the ground flax and hemp seeds to a bowl, together with 2 tablespoons of water, black salt, turmeric, mix well and let it sit for 2 minutes. Add the 50 ml of water and the rice flour in the bowl and mix well until the batter is smooth. Grind the buckwheat or corn flakes and transfer to a bowl. Soak each cauliflower floret into the batter and then in the ground flakes.
If you are air frying, place the florets onto a tray lined with a silicone mat. Air fry them at 200 degrees for 15 minutes.
If you are deep frying them, heat the oil in the cup/ pot you are using. Grab each floret with tongs by the stem and submerge them in the oil until golden. Put aside on a plate covered with paper towels, to absorb the excess oil.
- Placing the elements
Add all the 4 elements to a plate, plus some raw cauliflower leaves sprinkled with truffle oil and balsamic vinegar. Add some more brown sauce over the roasted cauliflower slices and play with the yellow vegetable milk sauce. Enjoy!