Food Network Magazine (January/February 2011)
When we were in L.A. last month, we had a really great dinner at Hatfield's, which in August was ranked by Bon Appétit as one of the 10 Best New Restaurants in America.
We enjoyed lots of the dishes we tried -- especially the drop-dead-delicious croque-madam, made with yellowtail sashimi, prosciutto, quail egg and brioche.
But the most intriguing and innovative dish (and maybe the most fun) was a plate of roasted cauliflower with golden raisins, toasted almonds and -- are you ready for this? -- sautéed plantains! It was a whole new take on cauliflower, pushing the vegetable in a sweet direction that was a completely new experience for us.
We definitely still want to try to recreate the Hatfield's dish. But when we got back from L.A. and saw this Cauliflower Couscous in the February Food Network Magazine, we knew we wanted to try it first.
Pan-roasting the cauliflower -- like roasting anything -- brings out its sweetness. And the cinnamon and sautéed shallots play that up even more.
But it's the dates that really make this dish into something different and something sweet.
In fact, if we had any complaints about this dish, it's that it was almost too sweet for our tastes. Despite the parsley and the red wine vinegar, the dish ended up just a tad sweeter than we would have liked for a side dish, veering into dessert territory.
We think it would be an even better dish with just a slightly more complex mix of flavors. So here's what we recommend changing when you make the dish:
Use two shallots instead of one, add a little more parsley, a bit more salt and pepper, and a slightly more generous splash of the vinegar.
Then again, if you like sweet, go with it as is. Either way, it'll be a knockout -- even good enough to serve as a vegetarian main dish any night of the week.
Cauliflower Couscous
Food Network Magazine (February 2011)
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(This photo: Food Network Magazine)
DIRECTIONS
Cook 1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous as the label directs. Drain, then rinse under cold water and toss with olive oil. Cook 3 cups cauliflower florets and 1 sliced shallot in olive oil, 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add a pinch of cinnamon and 1/4 cup chopped dates; cook 2 more minutes. Add to the couscous along with a splash of red wine vinegar, some chopped parsley, and salt and pepper.
