My very favorite winter side dish is roasted vegetables. When most people think of roasting, they think root vegetables, which are indeed delicious prepared this way. But so many other vegetables benefit from the caramelized flavor that roasting imparts–brussel sprouts, eggplant, and cauliflower, to name a few.
The other night I made some roasted cauliflower and garlic to act as a side to leftover mushroom risotto. The recipe is so easy, and the ingredients so few, but the flavor of the resultant dish so complex and delicious. The common sulfurous flavor of cauliflower is mellowed, the edges are rich and crispy, and the garlic is caramelized to a chewy, sweet perfection.
ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AND GARLIC
1-2 heads cauliflower
1/2 to one entire bulb of garlic
Extra Virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
pepper to tastePreheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut cauliflower into florets, cutting larger florets in half so that all the pieces are as much the same size as possible. Separate cloves of garlic and remove papery skins. If there are any enormous cloves, you can cut those in half.
Put the cauliflower and garlic in a at least a 9×13″ glass baking dish–the cauliflower should be in a single layer with plenty of room between pieces. Pour enough oil to coat the garlic (I never measure this, but I would guess it is about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of oil per head of cauliflower), sprinkle on the salt, grind onto it a goodly amount of pepper, and give it all a toss (come on! use your hands!) until the vegetables are well coated.
Roast in the oven for 25-35 minutes, or until garlic is caramelized and cauliflower is brown and crispy around the edges. Taste before serving and season with with more salt and pepper, if necessary.
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