Andy Baraghani's Perfect Cauliflower With Spicy Coconut Crisp · Rach Pilston
If you’ve not come across cook Andy Baraghani before, seek him out. His first book ‘The Cook You Want To Be‘ is a thoughtful and inspiring delve into how we use our kitchens and is full of things you’ll really want to cook. It’s a celebration of his Iranian upbringing and homage to some of the incredible places he trained, from Chez Panisse to Bon Appétit.
From Andy – "I wish you could press a button and hear the sound effects of how I feel about this recipe. This cauliflower is THAT GOOD. You cut slabs of cauliflower into, yes, cauliflower steaks, before snapping off the florets. The technique serves a purpose: the flattened sides of the cauliflower get caramelized all over, whereas it only browns in spots when you keep the stalk round. After the steaks are roasted, you break them into pieces so they’re more practical for the home cook but still manage to get that high-priced vegetarian main-course effect seen in restaurants. Aesthetically, I like it, too. Remember to collect any crumbly bits, cores, and leafy parts, which add dimension and different textures to the finished dish. To bring the caramelized cauliflower back to life after roasting, it gets a sprinkling of toasted, spicy crunchy coconut with plenty of lime zest and juice to seduce you. Or whoever you’re cooking for."
CHOOSING COCONUT FLAKES
Always buy unsweetened coconut so you can control the sweetness. (We associate coconut’s flavor with sweetness, but that comes from its aroma, not its actual flavor.) I buy flakes or shreds, depending on my mood. The big flakes are graphic and cool, but everything goes faster with shreds—from toasting to incorporating into a dish. Once you open the package, keep it in the fridge to preserve freshness.
RECIPE: Andy Baraghani from his new book The Cook You Want to Be.