Louisiana-Style Smothered Cauliflower
Everything from crawfish to okra gets smothered in southern Louisiana...
and while the meaning of smothering may vary amongst cooks, it’s basically a form of stovetop braising.
In France sauteèd aromatic vegetables are called mirepoix; for Italians it’s version soffritto, sofrito in Spanish, refogado in Portuguese. The ingredients vary from one culture to another, but they all create a flavor base for sauces, soups, and braises.
Louisiana Cajun and Creole cooks call theirs the holy trinity: onion, celery, and green bell pepper. And the frequently added fourth item, garlic, is sometimes called the pope.
What You'll Need
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- Antheo D.O.P. extra virgin olive oil, for cooking
- 1 onion
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 jalapeño
- 2 celery stalks
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 28 ounce can of Bianco di Napoli crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoons of Katz Gravenstein apple cider vinegar
- Fine sea salt, to taste
Equipment
- 1 Heavy Skillet
- 1 Chef Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- Measuring Spoons
What you'll have to do
Step 1
Start by chopping a head of cauliflower, including the core, into
roughly bite-sized pieces. Cook it in extra virgin olive oil with salt
and black pepper in a heavy skillet on medium high for about 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is nicely browned.
Step 2
Chop an onion, green bell pepper, jalapeño, a couple of celery stalks,
and a couple of cloves of garlic. Add them to the cauliflower and cook
for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.
Step 3
Add the Bianco di Napoli crushed tomatoes. You can substitute other
canned tomatoes, but look for cans without addded calcium chloride. It’s added as a firming agent but prevents the tomatoes from breaking down. Whole tomatoes are usually the best bet, but you need to break them up.
Step 4
Add a tablespoon apple cider vinegar, cover the pot, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve this over
rice with Crystal hot sauce on the side.
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