Cauliflower baked with currants, capers & pine nuts

October 5, 2023

   

I often have extra time to cook on Thursdays and I used this one to tick off another Six Seasons recipe. The original version involves soaking a cod for 12-24 hours and poaching it in milk, but I settled for a few capers sprinkled over the feature ingredient: cauliflower.

We have plenty of excellent baked cauliflower recipes already, but the cream/milk layer in this one is a bit different for us. We enjoyed the almost-cheesy flavour it added, but it seemed to interfere with getting the cauliflower properly tender and golden. Never mind! A topping of currants, capers, pine nuts and breadcrumbs added sweetness, nuttiness and extra crunch.

Since we weren't interested in the cod, I served the cauliflower alongside haloumi with roasted rhubarb and tomatoes. They made an excellent pair! I grilled the leftovers at home for subsequent lunches, but I would've been content also to eat them at room temperature if I'd been packing them for a work day.

   

Cauliflower baked with currants, capers & pine nuts

(adapted from a recipe in Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden and Martha Holmberg)

1/4 cup currants

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

200mL sour cream (or heavy cream or crème fraîche)

1/2 cup milk or water

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon lemon zest

small handful parsley, roughly chopped

salt and pepper

1/4 cup capers

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup breadcrumbs 

Place the currants in a bowl and cover them with water, allowing them to soak for 30 minutes. Drain them.

Preheat an oven to 220°C. Place the cauliflower florets into a large, high-walled baking tray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream and milk. Stir in the garlic, lemon zest and parsley, seasoning with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture across the cauliflower. Sprinkle over the currants, then the capers, then the pine nuts, then the breadcrumbs.

Bake until the cream is bubbling and the breadcrumbs have browned, 20-30 minutes.