I love cauliflower, it is one of my favourite vegetables and I like it any way except overcooked! I was watching a cookery programme tonight and it was presented in five different ways on the plate, including pickled and roasted. The National Mark Calendar of Cooking, comments ‘light dishes are useful for luncheons in summertime, and this is a good one. The method applies of course to broccoli as well as cauliflower.
Here is a National Mark recipe for stuffed cauliflower,… but first you have to make your forcemeat – the stuffing:
- 4 oz white breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 tsp chopped mixed herbs
- chopped lean ham (optional)
- 1 little zest of lemon
- 1 oz suet
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg or a little milk
- mix all the ingredients together, binding with the egg or milk
So, to stuffed the cauliflower:
- 1 cauliflower (or head of broccoli
- 2-3 eggs, beaten
- forcemeat
- streaky bacon
- stock
- parboil the cauliflower then plunge it into cold water, drain very well
- mix the forcemeat with the beaten eggs and season well
- push the forcemeat into the gaps between the florets, pushing it in really well
- in a saucepan just large enough to hold the cauliflower, put the bacon
- place the cauliflower head down on the bacon, add the stock and braise it until it has absorbed all the stock
- turn it out the right side up onto a serving dish and serve with a tomato sauce
Lois Elsden 