And they make for a well-rounded meal. Among the less laborious vegetables out there are zucchini, Brussels sprouts, green beans, asparagus, broccoli… and cauliflower. The latter two are cultivars of the same plant species, Brassica oleracea.
Cauliflower, though, is milder. It serves as an optimal vehicle for other flavours, which is how this particular side dish came to be. Cauliflower with a garlic panko breadcrumb coating is a dish with just enough of a grain component, richness, and crunch for the vegetables to become a statement on the dinner table. You can serve it alongside main courses like grilled fish, a tomato-based stew, or a stir fry.
Yield: Four people
Ingredients:
-one head of cauliflower
-half a dozen radishes
-one zucchini
-three cloves of garlic, minced
-five tablespoons of panko breadcrumbs (other breadcrumbs can be substituted as well)
-two tablespoons of mayonnaise
-a few sprinkles of other spices or toppings for the vegetables (see below for ideas)
-Parmesan cheese (optional)
Preparation method:
To start, wash all of the vegetables. Break the head of cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Slice the six radishes into slices of medium thickness. Do the same for the one zucchini. Place all of the vegetables on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil over everything. Sprinkle and mix in herbs, spices, and toppings; the type depends on what flavours you’d like to emphasize. For example, add fresh dill (after the vegetables are cooked) to accompany Estonian dishes, paprika to accompany Central European main dishes, basil and oregano for Mediterranean dishes, soy sauce (towards the end of the oven cooking process) and ginger to accompany Chinese dishes.
Put the vegetables in the oven at 400°C for 40 minutes, keeping an eye on them to make sure they are neither under or overcooked.
While you wait, peel and finely mince three cloves of garlic. Heat up a wide pan with a sprinkling of olive oil. When the oil has heated up, put the minced garlic on the pan and cook it until the pieces darken just a tad. Transfer the cooked garlic to a bowl that can fit all of the vegetables once they’re ready. Add two tablespoons of mayonnaise to this bowl and mix together with the garlic.
With the same pan that you cooked the garlic, pour on and spread out a thin layer of five tablespoons of panko (or other breadcrumbs). At medium heat, toast the panko, pushing it around with a spoon so that all sides are toasted evenly. Do this until the very first signs of darkness become apparent, so that the panko doesn’t burn. Slide all of the panko into the garlic mayonnaise bowl and mix everything together thoroughly.
Once the vegetables are fully cooked, transfer them to the panko bowl and use a big spoon to toss the vegetables in the garlic panko combination, so that it coats each bite of the vegetables well. The idea is to add crunchiness to every bite.
You can also add a few crumbles of Parmesan cheese to each diner’s plate, to give the side some extra punch and cheesiness.
Naturally, you can adjust the ratio of how much panko, mayonnaise, and garlic you use, depending on how you prefer the coating of the vegetables. Crispier? Richer? More garlicky? The choice is yours.
Head isu! / Bon appétit!
