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Roasted Cauliflower


sammy

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HMMM, now that I've had some success, what veggie should I try her on next?  Maybe roasted brussel sprouts...

Roasted asparugus with grated parmesan (or even shaved, if you have a hunk of it) tossed on at the end.

 

“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'

Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”

– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”

 

Tim Oliver

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HMMM, now that I've had some success, what veggie should I try her on next?  Maybe roasted brussel sprouts...

Roasted asparugus with grated parmesan (or even shaved, if you have a hunk of it) tossed on at the end.

Mm, that's good stuff. Another good 'un is roasted asparagus drizzled with balsamic vinegar and a touch of lemon, sprinkled (or not) with sesame seeds.

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
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"Every day should be filled with something delicious, because life is too short not to spoil yourself. " -- Ling (with permission)
"There comes a time in every project when you have to shoot the engineer and start production." -- author unknown

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Success! I roasted a head of broccoflower (cauliflower + brocolli hybrid?) and the BF who usually dislikes cauliflower loved them. I was evily hoping that he would also dislike these and I would get to eat the rest all by myself, but no such luck.

I'm not getting the "tastes like french fries" thing though. What part of it is supposed to taste like fries? The stem, or the charred florets?

nakedsushi.net (not so much sushi, and not exactly naked)
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I'm not getting the "tastes like french fries" thing though. What part of it is supposed to taste like fries? The stem, or the charred florets?

My guess is that the "tastes like french fries" might have been referring to the texture (crisp outside, soft inside) as opposed to the flavor. They've never tasted like french fries to me but are good in their own special way.

 

“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'

Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”

– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”

 

Tim Oliver

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I tried this for the first time the other night. Loved it! My method:

Sliced cauliflower about 1/4" thick. Added a thin layer of olive oil to a half sheet pan. Placed cauliflower and 3 crushed garlic cloves, a little salt, and red pepper flakes to the pan. Roasted it at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

It turned out great! I ate half of it right out of the pan then used the other half in some pasta with tomatoes, basil, and more red pepper flakes. I used the remaining garlic infused oil in the sheet pan to toss in the pasta.

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....I ate half of it right out of the pan....

Join the club...I know it rarely makes it to the table in our household. :laugh:
.... then used the other half in some pasta with tomatoes, basil, and more red pepper flakes.

That sounds like a great idea.
....I used the remaining garlic infused oil in the sheet pan to toss in the pasta.

THAT sounds like a staggeringly wonderful idea! Wish I'd thought of it. Thanks for the tip! :wub:

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
HosteG Forumsnsmith@egstaff.org

Follow us on social media! Facebook; instagram.com/egulletx; twitter.com/egullet

"Every day should be filled with something delicious, because life is too short not to spoil yourself. " -- Ling (with permission)
"There comes a time in every project when you have to shoot the engineer and start production." -- author unknown

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  • 2 weeks later...
:hmmm: I absolutely cannot stop making this and eating this!

I've started using only the large cross-slices and placing them on the outside of the baking sheet.  Any large chunks that fall off get placed in the middle.  Once I lay them down on the Silpat on the sheet pan, I lightly drizzle with EVOO and then sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.  I don't turn them over or move them around while roasting, because the little chunks that fall off get a little too scorched before the big, lacy slices get browned.  Don't despair, I've eaten even the most burned little pieces, but don't think the cancer people would agree that it's a good thing!  But I do take out the sheet pan and rotate 1/2 way through the baking time.

Anyway, I've now made roasted cauliflower about 30 times, and don't see an end in site, until summer veggies take over my world.  That's my confession. :raz:

Cheers,

I just tried it last week using the Sillpat. I normally just line both my sheet pans with foil. I don't think it got as crunchy using the silpat as with the foil - and I like the crunch on the smaller pieces. But then I set my timer and flip it every 12 minutes to get it all toasty brown - and I don't mind the burnt small pieces. I covet them actually!

I have a head of cauliflower in the fridge right now. I think I'll do half Silpat, half foil and turn it only 1 or 2 times while cooking. Just to see how it turns out :biggrin: Nothing like a little experiment!

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hmmm, i got nice browning, but they weren't really crispy.  I'll have to try again.

You need enough oil that it is bubbling on the cauliflower craters, and I really have to keep an eye on it at the end to avoid charring. Of course that is why the cook gets to scarf half the pan in the interest of tasting and of rescuing the tiny bits that brown more quickly.

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hmmm, i got nice browning, but they weren't really crispy.  I'll have to try again.

This happened to me the first few times, too. When I increased the heat and added a bit more oil to the cauliflower it was definitely crispier.

Shelley: Would you like some pie?

Gordon: MASSIVE, MASSIVE QUANTITIES AND A GLASS OF WATER, SWEETHEART. MY SOCKS ARE ON FIRE.

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hmmm, i got nice browning, but they weren't really crispy.  I'll have to try again.

Yeah, I love roasted vegetables and have been doing them for years. However, was never that impressed with roasted cauliflower using the methods I used with other veggies. Then I read this thread. Changes I made included higher cooking temp, slices of cauliflower rather than florets, and leaving it in until it gets really crispy. Wow, what a difference. I don't think I even use that much oil - maybe just a tablespoon or two, whatever comes out in a quick drizzle.

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  • 1 month later...

Greetings fellow flower lovers. this my first post ever!! and guess why i decided to come out of lurking to finally post? you got it! roasted cauliflower! yum

well i dont have an oven at home. what i normally do with my cauli and broccoli is to cut into florets, steam, season, eat.

or alternatively steam, nuke in the microwave until caramelised/a little burnt, eat. this produces a semi chewy semi crisp state.

but this never tastes like fries, nor is it crispy. :/

is it possible to get the same results with a microwave oven? my nuked caulis are shrunken and brownish. i it looks gross, smells strange but tastes good. i shall post a picture when i do that again but its not the least bit appetising.

i love this thread. i read all 16 pages of it. some really great pictures too!

.jedi pocky.

yum...

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  • 4 weeks later...

I made some roasted cauliflower last night, and fresh out of the oven, they really did taste like french fries. But I left it on the counter overnight, and this morning, my kitchen/living room/dining room (all one room) smelled like fart. :wacko:

I fear for what these will do to me...

But they're a good way of getting vegetables into someone who doesn't really like vegetables!

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If i had the kit, id love to try and compress the cauliflower into blocks, then slice them into a fries shape. Might give a more standardised result. Maybe thats going a bit too far in the french fries direction.

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What a coincidence to find this thread sitting at the top - I've just finished roasting up a bunch of cauliflower that will form the basis of a Roasted Cauliflower Soup :-)

I will saute a bit of garlic, add chicken stock, the roasted cauliflower and maybe a bit of nutmeg and let it simmer a bit before blending and finishing off with a bit cream.

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  • 4 months later...

For anyone who still doubts or is somehow unaware of the extreme deliciousness of whole roasted cauliflower . . . it's true:

gallery_42214_5579_105784.jpg

Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

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Stunning photo, Peter. How did you roast it - temperature, time, etc.?

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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Stunning photo, Peter. How did you roast it - temperature, time, etc.?

It was around an hour and a half at 350F if memory serves. There was a small chicken in the oven at the time. The florets look so golden because the whole head got a mist of olive oil from a manual pump sprayer before going in.

Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

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Stunning photo, Peter. How did you roast it - temperature, time, etc.?

It was around an hour and a half at 350F if memory serves. There was a small chicken in the oven at the time. The florets look so golden because the whole head got a mist of olive oil from a manual pump sprayer before going in.

Thanks! I'll have to try it.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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