Rule the Roost
Tips for making chef Kevin Naderi’s beloved Cauliflower with Miso Dressing at home
There was once a time when cruciferous vegetables caught a bad rap. Those days are behind us, thankfully, and chefs across the land are unlocking the magic of broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and all their kissing cousins. A lot of that magic comes down to simply knowing what to do with the darn things, avoiding the death trap of boiled and mushy traumatic flashbacks to the broccoli of many a childhood.
With New Year’s resolutions still basking in the glow of January’s promise, it’s handy to have a back-pocket sheaf of vegetable recipes, and there’s no reason to leave cauliflower out in the cold. One of the tricks to cauliflower confidence is a firm understanding of appropriate cooking methods. Really, you can boil it down (pun intended) to two words: high heat. The easiest way to coax deliciousness from your head is to blast it fast and fierce. Roasting, grilling and frying are the surest paths to success, and chef Kevin Naderi’s beloved Cauliflower with Miso Dressing — an early hit at his Montrose restaurant Roost — offers all three paths, depending on your proclivities. We suggest frying.
The dish is quite straightforward, with only a few things to keep in mind.
First, the cauliflower itself. You might be tempted to break it down as if serving on a crudité platter, paring the head into dainty florets. Do not succumb. Once you’ve trimmed the leaves and removed the core, the vegetable will guide you. Toward the base, larger florets will break free as if designed to do so. Toward the top, you’ll naturally trim smaller pieces. The variation in sizes will give you variations in texture, with the smaller pieces frizzling a bit more in the hot oil, the larger ones retaining a meatier bite. This is a good thing.
Next, the miso dressing. It calls for miso and soy, both salty ingredients. When the recipe says “salt to taste,” apply appropriate emphasis to the tasting part. Taste before you salt, after the other ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. You may find you don’t need any salt at all. Depending on your taste. So taste. Before you salt.
Then, a word on frying. Temperature matters. Don’t wing it with a chopstick trick or a bit of bread. Use a thermometer. Start with your oil a bit higher than the 375 degrees recommended, as the cauliflower will drop the temperature quickly. I started mine close to 400, and the temperature held nicely. Don’t crowd your pot/fryer, either. For the same reason, and to help ensure against boil-overs. Everybody loves fried cauliflower, nobody likes a grease fire.
Finally, I’d suggest adding the dressing sparingly at first. You can always add more. People feel about gloppy cauliflower more or less as they do grease fires. I have every confidence you’ll find a use for any leftover dressing. I’ve already found several.