Good golly, caulis have gone gourmet!
Forget caulif lower cheese. Sales soar on back of foodie trend for caulif lower steaks, pizza – and even a cauli Christmas tree
IT HAS a reputation for being the most boring of vegetables, boiled to blandness in hated school meals or drenched in cloying cheese sauce in an attempt to lend its pale flesh some much-needed flavour. But now the humble cauliflower has become Britain’s newest culinary fad, with celebrity chefs and fashion-forward foodies flocking to the florets.
The veg has become especially popular with calorie-counters because it can replace virtually all carbohydrates.
It can be made into grains to replace rice or ground into so-called ‘caulicauliflour’ and used in pizza bases, ses, taco shells lls and even n cakes and d biscuits.
Low-fat cauliflower steaks, wings and roasts are re replacing ng their meaty aty equivalents nts – and not just t among vegetarians, ns, with cauliflowerer creations finding their way on to supermarket shelves and high-class menus alike.
The Ledbury, a double Michelin star restaurant in Notting Hill, West London, serve it roasted with lobster, while Tesco stocks cauliflower rice for £1.99 for 200g.
Among celebrity chefs, Antony Worrall Thompson has recipe for mashed cauliflower – mixing in double cream and cheddar; Jamie Oliver is a fan of the veg’s health benefits and offers a recipe for whole roasted cauliflower with a thyme and paprika rub; while Nigella Lawson serves her caulis cold and spiced in a salad with chickpeas.s.
Tesco says sales have ave soared by ten per er cent in the past quarter and Sains- bury’s s reportss a 15 per er cent surge rge from last year. It’s good d news for suppliers pliers and growers following 15 years of dwindling sales.
Richard Mowbray, of commercial wholesalers T. H. Clements, said: ‘Following a one or two per cent year-on-year decline, demand has gone up by 15 per cent.
‘In the past, people only had cauliflower with Sunday roasts and stopped eating it when the sun came out – but this year it stayed popular throughout the summer.’
Waitrose said sales of cauliflower heads were up seven per cent since last year, and the store is cashing in on the craze by launching an edible Romanesco Cauliflower Christmas tree – a side dish that can be decorated with pomegranate seeds and topped with a star anise for the festive touch.
The Hard Rock Cafe chain was offering deep-fried cauliflower ‘wings’ throughout October, and Pizza Express is getting in on the act by launching a cauliflower and cheese pizza this week – but with the vegetable as the topping, not the base – as part of its festive menu. Holly Davies, the chain’s head of food, said: ‘We quickly realised cauliflower was “the one” this year, after noticing that scores of our favourite chefs are using it in increasingly interesting ways.’ Wholesaler Mr Mowbray is also vice-chair of the Brassica Growers’ Association – the brassica family including kale, broccoli, cabbage and brussels sprouts as well as cauliflower. He added that ca caulis had ‘de ‘developed a s similar health profile to kale – but arguably taste nicer’. Food industry expert Jane Milton a agrees, be believing that cau cauliflower has becom become popular because it works in so many dishe dishes. She said: ‘Broccoli has a much stronger flavour and colour – and that’s why cauliflower has become more popular. For best results you should steam it very quickly or roast it, then it keeps much more texture and flavour.’
MS MILTON added that non-vegetarians are increasingly swapping meat for plant-based meals to be healthier, following trends like ‘meat free Mondays’, supported by celebrity vegetarians such as Paul McCartney. Shoppers can buy cauliflower ‘steaks’ to grill on the barbecue instead of steak and burgers, with many choosingcho to mix the veg in curries or stir-fries. CelebrityC chef Selin K Kiazim was one of the first chefs to adopt cauliflower into her modern menus after discovering its healthy qualities and versatility. It is one of the most popular dishes in her Turkish restaurant O Oklava, in East London, wh where it is served roasted and toppedt with chilli, red onion, parsleyp and pistachio. She said: ‘I ha had a cauliflower hanging around so I cut it up and roasted it – people really liked it. ‘As it is so under-rated, a lot of people think they don’t like it, and are surprised about how tasty it is. It’s a great vegetable because it is so versatile – I even eat it raw in salads.’ Another celebrity chef, Tom Kerridge, bakes it in sizzling garlic butter, while Stockport-based vegan chef Matthew Nutter boasts: ‘ I can make cauliflower taste better than Christmas turkey.’