Shared by Maya Jankelowitz
Shared by Maya Jankelowitz
Roasted Cauliflower With Dijon and Capers
Yield: 2 to 4 servingsTime: 1 hour
Roasted Cauliflower With Dijon and Capers
Yield: 2 to 4 servingsTime: 1 hourFamily Journey
Tripoli, LibyaRamat Gan, Israel
New York City
This cauliflower dish with crispy capers comes from the iconic New York restaurant Jack's Wife Freda and is inspired by co-owner Maya Ginach's grandmother. Safta Buba would host large family gatherings at her home in Ramat Gan, Israel — she had 26 grandchildren — and serve recipes she grew up with in Tripoli, Libya.
There was often chraime, or fish cooked in a piquant tomato sauce, bastilla, or a casserole of ground meat, vegetables and mashed potatoes, and fresh, hand-rolled couscous to go with tagine, and roasted cauliflower. There were also mezze like beets with labneh, za’atar and olive oil, a carrot salad, a chopped tomato and cucumber salad, pickles, olives, and pickled kohlrabi.
Several of those recipes like this one have ended up on the menu at Maya's restaurant over the years. Maya's updated them, but the roots are clear.
Read more about Maya Jankelowitz's family in "How a Libyan Shabbat Tagine Became a Beloved New York Dish" and try her recipes for kohlrabi and carrot salad, fried zucchini chips, and spiced beet dip.
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt
- ¼ cup capers
- ¼ cup packed fresh parsley leaves
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Cracked black pepper
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 425F. Quarter the cauliflower and cut out the ribs. Set one quarter of the cauliflower aside. Break the rest of the cauliflower into large florets roughly the same size. If any florets are too large, cut in half with a knife. Toss the florets in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and a few pinches of salt. Spread the cauliflower on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, turning the cauliflower halfway through the cooking process, until browned and cooked to your liking.
Step 2
In a sauté pan over medium heat, heat ¼ cup of the olive oil, and fry the capers, shaking the pan often to cook evenly. Do take care since the capers may burst and sometimes jump out of the pan. You may want to cover the pan with a lid. Once the capers are light brown and toasted, strain and allow them to drain on a few pieces of paper towel.
Step 3
Cut the remaining quarter of cauliflower across into very thin slices, using only the florets and not the stem. Coarsley chop the parsley leaves. Combine the raw cauliflower, parsley, and fried capers in a small bowl.
Step 4
In a blender or food processor, blend the lemon juice, garlic, egg yolk, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard untli combined. While the blender is running, slowly add the remaining 1 cup olive oil in a slow, steady stream. If the consistency is too thick, add 1 tablespoon water. Add the Parmesan and blend until combined. Transfer the dressing to a small bowl and season with pepper.
Step 5
To assemble the dish, spoon ¼ cup of dressing into a thin layer covering the bottom of your serving dish. Place the cooked cauliflower on top of the dressing in an even layer. Dress the raw cauliflower salad with 3 to 4 tablespoons of the dressing or until well coated. Salt to taste. Spread the raw cauliflower salad on top of the cooked cauliflower. Feel free to garnish with additional parsley and cracked pepper. Cauliflower can be stored in the fridge for 3–4 days in an airtight container.
Excerpted with permission from Jack’s Wife Freda Cookbook, from Blue Rider Press.
