I have plunged head-first into a love affair with cauliflower in recent years. Why? The best of all reasons: there are almost endless things you can do with it.
Cauliflower fritters
Most of the florets that get into shopping baskets, I would wager, end up boiled to death or as cauli cheese. Although the meeting of cauliflower and cheese is always delightful, there is so much more to be done with this vegetable.
There are two important things to remember with the fritters. You must make sure your cauli is dry, so it doesn’t become soggy in the cooking. And also, be sure not to overcook it, or you will find you have a watery mush on your hands.
Potato, cauliflower and coconut curry
Vary the cheese as you like — blue cheese adds an interesting edge. Serve as a starter, side dish or small snack.
The combination of curry spices and the sweetness of the cooked cauliflower is a perfect marriage. And this curry works well as either a side dish or a starter.
With fried eggs and capers, this is a nice brunch, lunch or vegetarian dish. If you want to make it a little meatier, stick in a slice of ham or salt beef between the egg and the cauliflower.
Cauliflower with a fried egg and capers
Think outside the chocolate box
Harness your inner chocolatier with creative cocoa recipes fit for a decadent dinner party
Almond chocolates
Yes, we’ve only just recovered from the excesses of Christmas. And no, it’s not time to gear up for Easter yet, despite the unnerving appearance of egg-shaped confections on supermarket shelves. But who really needs an excuse to indulge in a chocolate fix?
My childhood memories of chocolate did not feature creative cooking, unless you count the odd Rice Krispies cake. Any mention of percentage of cocoa solids would have been quite alien in my grandparents’ house. But times have changed, and I like to use chocolate not just in sweets, but to give a luxurious twist to drinks and savoury dishes.
The use of chocolate in a martini creates a rich concoction that you could almost serve as a dessert. Or just as a decadent drink at a dinner party. You can make the bulk of the chocolate base in advance and just keep it at room temperature, then use it as and when required. You can garnish this with virtually whatever you want, from some orange peel, to a cinnamon stick, or a chocolate cigarillo.
Cornish salty white chocolate chilli thins
Months ago I found some lovely old chocolate moulds in one of my favourite antique shops, Les Couilles du Chien on London’s Golborne Road. I often make good culinary finds in Jerome’s shop; last time it was a silver caviar toast rack. But I wasn’t quite sure what to do with the chocolate moulds once I got them home.
I’m not exactly a chocolatier, so they just sat in the cupboard, but they are perfect for making almond chocolates. If don’t have moulds like this, you can buy small paper chocolate moulds, which will work just as well for crafting your own sweet treats.
No antique kitchen utensils are required to make chocolate ‘thins’. I’ve had a tub of Cornish sea salt with chilli in my cupboard for about a year now — it was from a food festival and I kind of forgot about it. But if sea salt can successfully go with caramel, then there’s no reason why salt and chilli can’t go with white chocolate for an after-dinner delight.
If you haven’t got a tub of Cornish sea salt with chilli, then just mix 10% (or more if you wish) of dried chilli flakes with Cornish sea salt.
Chocolate black cow martini
