For the Cauliflower…
1 large cauliflower crown, sliced, drizzled with EVOO, sprinkled with a generous pinch of red pepper flakes and roasted in a 400 degree oven on the bottom shelf until the edge of burning then cut into bite size pieces. Make sure to flip the cauliflower slices halfway through the roasting and save raw cauliflower crumbles for garnish.
½ medium cauliflower crown, steamed until al dente when pierced with a knife and cut into bite size pieces. Save raw cauliflower crumbles for garnish.
½ medium cauliflower crown, steamed until al dente when pierced with a knife then… pureed with a ladle or two of chicken stock and a large serving spoon of plain Greek yogurt. Save raw cauliflower crumbles for garnish.
For the Soffrito…
Enough extra virgin olive oil to coat a wide bottom sauté pan
1 small yellow onion, chopped coarsely
2 shallots, chopped coarsely
2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
Generous pinch of Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
Pinch of ground cumin
For the Risotto…
2 cups Aborio Rice
1 cup dry white wine
6+ cups hot chicken stock
For the Finish…
All the cauliflower
1-2 handfuls of white cheddar, grated finely
Maldon Sea Salt Flakes and freshly ground white and black peppercorn mix to season.
For the Garnish…
Toasted breadcrumbs
Grated Parmesan
White Cheddar
Raw cauliflower crumbles
Toasted sliced almonds
Sliced grapes
Flat leaf Italian Parsley, chopped finely
To Make…
In a large, heavy, wide bottomed pan over a medium flame, heat enough extra virgin olive oil so that it coats the bottom surface and until it’s hot but not smoking. Add the onions, shallots, and sea salt and cook until clear and soft, about 5 minutes or so. Add the garlic and cumin. Stir. Mix in the rice until well coated and toast the rice for 2-3 minutes. Now… up the heat to medium-high, add the wine and cook until evaporated… about another 2-3 minutes.
Start to add hot stock a couple of ladles at a time and stirring until liquid is absorbed… turning down the heat as the rice thickens. This process should result in a creamy and tender but not overly soft risotto and should take about twenty minutes or so. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheddar and a large spoonful of the cauliflower puree. Now fold in the roasted and steamed cauliflower pieces. Season to taste with Maldon Sea Salt Flakes and freshly ground peppercorns.
To Serve…
Plate each serving with a smear of cauliflower puree and a large serving spoon of risotto. Now garnish with a generous pinch each of toasted breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, shredded cheddar, raw cauliflower crumbles, toasted almonds, grapes and flat leaf parsley. Enjoy!