Yotam Ottolengi has been a big inspiration to me. I have all his recipe books and follow him religiously on Instagram. Most of his books and columns feature vegetarian recipes, he himself is not a vegetarian but he says in comparison to cooking meat, “vegetables take a bit more work, but they pay back with lots of TLC as well, because they are good for you, and they are much more versatile”.
The biggest thing I have learnt from Ottolenghi is don’t be shy to put unsuspecting ingredients together. His cauliflower cake is a good example of this.
Try it – it is delicious and even better the next day with a chilled glass of chenin blanc
Yotam Ottolenghi’s Cauliflower Cake
Ingredients:
- 1 small cauliflower, outer leaves removed, broken into 3 cm florets
- 1 medium red onion, peeled
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
- 7 eggs
- 1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped
- 1 cup flour, sifted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/3 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 150g coarsely grated parmesan or another mature cheese
- Melted unsalted butter, for brushing
- 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
- Salt and black pepper
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Place the cauliflower florets in a saucepan and add 1 teaspoon salt. Cover with water and simmer for 5 minutes, until the florets are slightly soft. Drain and set aside in a colander to dry.
- Cut 4 round slices, 5 mm thick, off one end of the onion and set aside. Coarsely chop the rest of the onion and place in a small pan with the oil and rosemary. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat until soft. Set aside to cool. Transfer the onion to a large bowl, add the eggs and basil, whisk well, and then add the flour, baking powder, turmeric, parmesan, 1 teaspoon 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 24-cm springform cake pan with parchment paper. Brush the sides with melted butter, toss the sesame seeds around the inside of the pan so that they stick to the sides. Pour the cauliflower mixture into the pan, spreading it evenly, 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.
- Serve with a fresh simple green salad and garlic-y potatoes.
