Ottolenghi’s Cauliflower Cake
This recipe from Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi was included in The Guardian’s 20 Best Vegetarian Recipes.
Ottolenghi explains that it was part of his ongoing campaign to give cauliflower some well-earned glory. “It’s one of the most magnificent of all vegetables and, to me, is as versatile as the treasured potato”. Think cauliflower couscous, cauliflower salad, coronation cauliflower, roasted whole cauliflower and spaghetti with cauliflower strasciata.
Inroduction
About this Recipe
By Sheridan Rogers
Serve this cake as a light supper alongside a makeshift salad of sliced cucumber, dill, mint, dressed with a little sugar, cider vinegar and rapeseed oil. Kept well wrapped, it will taste even better the next day. Ottolenghi calls it a cake but I'm more inclined to call it a frittata.
Ingredients
cauliflower, 1 small, outer leaves removed, broken into 3cm florets (450g)
salt
red onion, approx 170g (or use 5 – 6 red shallots)
olive oil, 75ml
rosemary, ½ – 1 teaspoon, finely chopped
eggs, 7
basil leaves, 3/4 cup, chopped
plain flour, 120g, sifted
baking powder, 1½ teaspoons
ground turmeric, ⅓ teaspoon
parmesan 150g, coarsely grated, or another mature cheese (a hard vegetarian cheese can be used instead)
salt and black pepper
melted butter, to line the tin
white sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon
nigella seeds, 1 teaspoon
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Place the cauliflower in a saucepan and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover with water and simmer for 15 minutes until the florets are quite soft: they should break when pressed with a spoon. Strain and set aside in a colander to dry.
Cut 4 round slices, each ½cm thick, off one end of the onion and set aside. Coarsely chop the rest of the onion and place this in a small pan with the oil and rosemary. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until soft. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Transfer the cooked onion to a large bowl, add the eggs and basil, whisk well and then add the flour, baking powder, turmeric, parmesan, 1 teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Whisk until smooth before adding the cauliflower and stirring gently, trying not to break up the florets.
Line the base and sides of a 24cm springform cake tin with baking paper. Brush the sides with melted butter, mix together the sesame and nigella seeds and toss them around the inside of the tin so that they stick to the sides. Tip in the cauliflower mix and arrange the reserved onion rings on top. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 45 minutes, until golden-brown and set: a knife inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean.
Remove from the oven and leave for at least 20 minutes before serving: it needs to be served just warm, rather than hot, or at room temperature.