Chiarellos Cauliflower Alla Parmigiana Recipes

CAULIFLOWER ALLA PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Butter a 10x8-inch oval baking dish or a dish of equivalent size.
• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower, and boil until slightly softened but still retaining some crispness, about 3 minutes. Drain well, and then slice them lengthwise so the stems are about 1/4 inch thick.
• Arrange the slices, overlapping them tightly, in the prepared baking dish. Season with salt and several grinds of black pepper; dot with thin slices of the butter. Sprinkle with the cheese and bread crumbs.
• Bake uncovered until lightly browned on top, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

CAULIFLOWER PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a plate with paper towels.
• Pull off the leaves from the base of the cauliflower and cut off the stem, but do not cut out the core. Slice the cauliflower into 1-inch thick slices, aiming for about 3 nice "steaks" from the center. The rest will break into smaller florets, and that is okay.
• Mix the flour with 1 teaspoon salt in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Put the eggs in another shallow bowl and panko in a third shallow bowl.
• Add 1/4 inch olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering.
• Working with the larger pieces first, add the cauliflower to the flour and turn to coat. Shake off the excess, then dip in the egg to coat. Let the excess egg drip off, then coat thoroughly in the panko. Fry the cauliflower in batches to avoid overcrowding, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to the lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining smaller pieces of cauliflower (leave out any tiny crumbly pieces).
• Spread 1 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange the fried cauliflower on top, then spoon 1 cup of the sauce on top of the cauliflower. Arrange the mozzarella over the sauce, then spoon the remaining 1/2 cup marinara over the top. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and bake until bubbling and lightly browned in spots, about 35 minutes. Sprinkle with the basil and serve.

PARMESAN-ROASTED CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Remove the outer green leaves from the cauliflower and cut the head into florets, discarding the stems. Place the florets on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Toss well. Bake for 30 minutes, tossing once, until the cauliflower is tender and starts to brown. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and Gruyere and bake for 1 to 2 more minutes, just until the cheese melts. Season to taste and serve hot or warm.

CAULIFLOWER ALLA PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Butter a 10x8-inch oval baking dish or a dish of equivalent size.
• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower, and boil until slightly softened but still retaining some crispness, about 3 minutes. Drain well, and then slice them lengthwise so the stems are about 1/4 inch thick.
• Arrange the slices, overlapping them tightly, in the prepared baking dish. Season with salt and several grinds of black pepper; dot with thin slices of the butter. Sprinkle with the cheese and bread crumbs.
• Bake uncovered until lightly browned on top, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

CHIARELLO'S CAULIFLOWER ALLA PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F Butter a 10x8-inch oval baking dish or a dish of equivalent size.
• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower, and boil until slightly softened but still retaining some crispness, about 3 minutes. Drain well, and then slice them lengthwise so the stems are about 1/4 inch thick.
• Arrange the slices, overlapping them tightly, in the prepared baking dish. Season with salt and several grinds of black pepper; dot with thin slices of the butter. Sprinkle with the cheese and bread crumbs.
• Bake uncovered until lightly browned on top, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.
• Copyright 2010 Michael Chiarello. Recipe provided by Chef Michael Chiarello - June 2010.

PARMIGIANO-CRUSTED CAULIFLOWER WITH AGLIATA

Steps:

• For the sauce: In a medium bowl, toss the bread with enough water to really moisten it up; you want it almost soggy. Then squeeze out the excess water, and place the bread, vinegar and garlic in a food processor and puree until smooth. While the machine is still running, drizzle in the olive oil and process until combined. Add the chives and parsley, and pulse a few more times to combine. Season with salt and more vinegar, if you like (I like a very bright, acidic dipping sauce). Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl.
• For the cauliflower: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl of well-salted water with ice, and line a baking sheet with paper towels.
• Toss the cauliflower in the boiling water. When the water returns to a boil, cook the cauliflower for 2 more minutes, then drain and immediately plunge the cauliflower in the ice water. When the cauliflower is cool, drain and lay it out to dry on the prepared baking sheet.
• In a large saucepan, pour enough peanut oil to fill the pan 1 1/2 to 2 inches up the sides. Heat over medium-high heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 350 degrees F. To see if it's hot enough, drop some flour into it. If the flour sizzles and floats quickly, you're good to go. If the flour burns or the oil begins to smoke, it's too hot, so reduce the heat.
• Set up standard breading procedure: one bowl of the flour, one bowl for the eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoons water, and one for the breadcrumbs and Parm. Then place a couple layers of paper towels on a baking sheet next to the stovetop. When the oil is hot, dredge some cauliflower in the flour and shake off the excess, then dip it in the egg mixture, and finally through the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat this process for the remaining cauliflower.
• Working in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan, fry the cauliflower until brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the cauliflower to the paper towels, sprinkle with salt, and serve hot, hot and hot with the agliata sauce.

BRAESOLA AND LIGHTLY PICKLED MUSHROOM AND CAULIFLOWER SALAD WITH CRISPY PARMIGIANO

Steps:

• Combine the mushrooms, onion, cauliflower, thyme leaves, crushed red pepper, vinegar, and salt in a bowl. Toss well to combine, cover, and let sit at room temperature at least 1 hour, stirring once or twice. This will sort of cook the veggies and lightly pickle them.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• On a sheet tray lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper, make 4 flat circles of Parmigiano. Bake the Parmigiano disks until the cheese looks golden and lacy, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the cheese rounds from the oven and let cool for 1 to 2 minutes, and then loosen them from the tray. Reserve.
• Divide the braesola between 4 serving plates. Toss the mushroom mixture with the arugula and a drizzle of big fat finishing oil. Taste to make sure the mix is delicious. Arrange a pile of the veggie mix on top of the braesola on each plate. Crumble a Parmigiano disk on each plate.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH PANCETTA, OLIVES AND CRISP PARMESAN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt until well coated. Roast for 15 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together olives, garlic, lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon red-pepper flakes and a large pinch of salt. Drizzle in the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, whisking well.
• After the cauliflower has roasted for 15 minutes, add pancetta and cumin seeds to pan and gently mix to combine. Sprinkle Parmesan on top and roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, until cauliflower is tender, the pancetta rendered, and cheese is golden brown and crunchy.
• Spoon olive dressing all over roasted cauliflower while still hot and toss to combine. Taste, and add more salt, red-pepper flakes or lemon juice, if needed. Scatter parsley over the top before serving.