I LOVE cauliflower. In fact, I serve cauliflower so often that my daughter protests. Anyway, I found perfect cauliflower at the Green City Market this week and I cannot resist posting another recipe from The Purple Pig.
Charred Cauliflower with Toasted Breadcrumbs, Cornichons, and Parsley
(adapted from Charred Cauliflower with Cornichons by Jimmy Bannos Jr.)
Serves 2-4
- 1 head of cauliflower, cored and chopped into 1 inch florets
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 ½ ounces fresh bread crumbs*
- ¼ cup cornichons, thinly sliced
- ½ cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- kosher salt
- black pepper, freshly ground
In a small sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat and toast the bread crumbs with salt and pepper to taste until golden, approximately 4-5 minutes. Allow the bread crumbs to cool and crisp on a plate.
Preheat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Toss the cauliflower with 1 ½ tablespoons of the olive oil and add to the pan. Char the florets, turning often, until the cauliflower is slightly tender and blackened in spots, approximately 8-10 minutes. Pour the charred florets into a large serving bowl.
Add the cornichons, parsley, lemon juice, and 1 ½ tablespoons of the olive oil to the bowl with the cauliflower and toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with toasted bread crumbs.
* I remove the crust from day old bread, pulse it in the food processor to create coarse bread crumbs, and freeze for use in recipes.
Locally Grown Head of Cauliflower
alice and waldo 
Yum!
I really like cauliflower. This recipe sounds great. Hopefully, I’ll get your mother to make it for me.
It is easy to prepare and delicious!
Margaret B, Just happened to have cauliflower and fresh parsley in the frig the day you posted this. Whipped it up without breadcrumbs (thanks Peggy) and swapped the Cornichons (we’re in Idaho) with thinly sliced pickles. Yummy x 5. Thanks JB
I am happy to hear you liked the cauliflower. Next time, you could add some toasted pine nuts or almonds as a substitution for the bread crumbs if you want to add some texture. I hope all is well in Idaho.
I am going to make this tonight!!!