This dish was inspired by a much better dish I had from the restaurant Katoi, here in Detroit. The Katoi dish was a roasted romanesco in a kafir lime sauce - and it's among the best things I've had in a long time.
As it's not in my power to do an exact recreation (Katoi was just nominated for a James Beard Award, and I'm a dude who cooks on the weekends and occasionally updates a food blog). But, I did use it as inspiration.
What I loved about the dish was it's bright and powerful yet balanced acidity. It was texturally interesting and compulsively edible, and that's what I attempt to emulate here.
The cauliflower starts in the oven to give it it's crispy, delicious taste, but it's finished in a sauté of the caramelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice and, eventually, arugula.
The cauliflower pops with bright acidic flavors, but it's matched well with the sweetness of caramelized onions and peppery arugula. Sun-dried tomatoes add another tart element, and toasted pine nuts and a bed of quinoa add a nuttiness that rounds it out nicely.
Give this a try, you won't regret it!
Sign up for the CRISP E-mail Newsletter.
You'll very occasional notifications about recent Crisp recipes.