Cauliflower, olive, pepper and caper salad
SERVES 6
“This Neapolitan holiday staple, also called burdiglione, traditionally is served on Christmas Eve to provide rinforzo (reinforcement) to a lean, fish-based meal,” says Parla. “In Naples, the pepper of choice is the pappacella, a squat, flattened pepper.”
QUICK-PICKLED VEGETABLES 750 ml (3 cups) white wine vinegar, plus extra to taste
60 gm (¼ cup) fine sea salt,
plus extra to taste
60 gm white sugar,
plus extra, to taste
3 fresh bay leaves
1 tsp whole black
peppercorns
3 carrots, cut into
1cm-thick rounds
2 red or yellow capsicum,
cut into 2.5cm squares 2 celery stalks, cut into
1cm-thick pieces
1 small red onion, halved,
thinly sliced SALAD 1 small cauliflower, separated into florets ½ cup olives, rinsed, pitted and halved lengthways 2 tbsp capers, rinsed 6 salted anchovy fillets (see note), cleaned, cut into 5mm pieces
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped 2 tbsp white wine vinegar 60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
1 For the quick-pickled vegetables, combine the vinegar and 750ml water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Add salt and sugar. When both have dissolved, taste the brine; it should taste balanced, like something you would put on your salad. Adjust to taste, then add bay leaves, peppercorns, carrots and capsicum. Return to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Add celery, return to a simmer and cook for another 1 minute, then add onion and cook for another 2 minutes. Drain, transfer to a large bowl, and set aside to cool.
2 For the salad, fill a bowl with ice and water. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the cauliflower and cook until tender but still holding its shape (about 8 minutes). Drain and immediately plunge cauliflower into the ice bath and cool. Drain and transfer to the bowl with pickled vegetables. Add olives, capers, anchovies and parsley. Pour the vinegar and olive oil over and toss to coat. Season to taste. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days for flavours to develop before serving.
Note Simmer each vegetable separately for more control over the final product. You want them to be al dente but cooked through. Cook carrots and capsicum for about 5 minutes, celery for about 3 minutes and onion for about 2 minutes. Use anchovy fillets in oil if salted anchovies are unavailable.