Cauliflower Polonaise, from the Le Creuset cookbook

The Summer has been long this year in New York. And while I love the warmth, I’m really ready for a light jacket and some cozy Autumnal recipes.

This week, I have been cooking from Le Creuset, the formidable new cookbook from the eponymous heirloom French cookware brand. This cookbook is not like other ‘branded’ cookbooks. The sleekly designed, vibrantly-hued embossed orange hardcover brims with sophistication, much like the brand's iconic enameled cast iron cookware. I still remember purchasing my first Le Creuset piece, in my early twenties. It was a pivotal moment, the first piece of ‘nice’ cookware that I owned. It was a small-ish bottle green pot with a skillet-lid, probably all that I could afford at the time. As a sign of endurance and timelessness, I still have this pot, dragged halfway across the world to my Brooklyn kitchen. It is still a crucial part of my cooking arsenal.

Le Creuset, the cookbook, is a tour de force in French inspired cuisine. It features over 80 French-inspired recipes that are all super simple, perfect for weeknight cooking. I’ve tried a few of the vegetable recipes this week, including the Oil-Poached Leek, the Pommes Dauphinoise and the Cauliflower Polonaise, which have all been excellent examples of simple food, with magical little touches that inject lots of flavour. The Cauliflower Polonaise, the recipe below, is deceptively modest - boiled cauliflower, mixed with an incredibly satiating mixture of breadcrumbs, hard-boiled eggs, capers, garlic and butter, finished with a scatter of parsley. The whole dish comes together in no time, yet completely bursts with flavour. I’ll be adding this clever little cauliflower dish to my weekly rotation. It’s a keeper. Enjoy.

**This post is sponsored by Le Creuset. All opinions are my own and I only work with brands that I genuinely love and use. I am giving away a copy of the Le Creuset cookbook over on my Instagram, so head there for a chance to win! 

 

Cauliflower Polonaise

Makes 6 servings

Cauliflower Polonaise might have a Polish name, but it’s French I origin and practice. The ingredients are humble and the technique is easy, but this recipe demonstrates that a well-flavoured toppings of modest breadcrumbs and chopped eggs can elevate a simple vegetable side dish (Hetty’s note: I ate this as a main dish! ;))

1 large head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into large florets

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

3 tbsp fresh bread crumbs, divided

2 large hard-cooked eggs, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp drained capers

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 425˚F / 220˚C.

Bring a large saucepan of wter to the boil over high heat. Add the cauliflower, reduce the heat, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, blot dry, and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the 1 tablespoon of the butter, 1 ½ tablespoons of the breadcrubs and the eggs, capers, garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to a large, oval cast iron baking dish.

In a small bowl, stir together the remaining bread crumbs and remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, and sprinkle over the top.

Bake until golden brown on top, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.

This recipe is extracted from © Le Creuset Cookbook, Rizzoli New York, 2017.  Reprinted with permission from Le Creuset.