Whole Roasted Romanesco with Herby Ranch & Fried Leeks
This simple dish is visually stunning...
and works great as either a side to proteins (we love it with a steak) or as an impressive main. To cut down on roasting time, and get as much flavor into the romanesco as possible, we rely on a trick we learned from Bay Area chef Damon Little. Before roasting, poach the romanesco in aggressively seasoned water; we like to use instant dashi fortified with a good amount of sea salt. Remember, you’re only poaching for a few minutes, so you want the liquid to impart a big amount of flavor in a small amount of time.
And bear in mind that what makes this recipe great is its adaptability: as long as the romanesco is dressed in something delicious (and topped with something crunchy), you should be golden. Here, we’ve opted for a quick herby ranch dressing and fried leeks, but a fragrant salsa verde would be great, and you could swap the leeks for breadcrumbs, bacon bits, or toasted pepitas.
What You'll Need
Ingredients
- 1 whole Romanesco cauliflower
- 1 leek
- 1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 instant dashi packets
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream
- For frying as needed, Novo Frantoio extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup of Duke's mayonnaise
- To taste, oregano
- 1 teaspoon + more as needed Burlap & Barrel Purple Stripe garlic
- 1 teaspoon + more as needed of Burlap & Barrel toasted onion powder
- To taste, Italian fine sea salt
- To taste, freshly ground Diaspora Co. Aranya peppercorns
- Dried Thyme to taste
Equipment
- Large stock pot
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Sharp paring knife
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Plate and paper towels (for draining fried leeks)
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
What you'll have to do
For the Romanesco
Step 1 – Preheat your oven to 400º
Step 2 – Using the paring knife, trim the bottom leaves and as much of the core of the romanesco as possible while keeping it intact
Step 3 – Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 instant dashi packets and several tablespoons of kosher salt. The water should taste like the ocean.
Step 4 – Oil a sheet pan. When the water is boiling, slowly add the whole romanesco to the pot and poach for 3-5 minutes. Remove the romanesco and place on the sheet pan.
Step 5 – Roast romanesco in the oven at 400º for 30 minutes, and test with a knife; there should be little to no resistance. While the romanesco roasts, fry your chopped leeks
For the leeks
Step 1 – Trim leeks, split lengthwise, and soak in cool water for 10 minutes to remove dirt.
Step 2 – Set a cast iron or other heavy-bottom skillet over high heat and add at least an inch of olive oil.
Step 3 – Remove the leeks from the water, rinse, pat dry, and slice crosswise.
Step 4 – Use a thermometer to check the temperature of the oil; when it reaches 375º, the leeks are ready to fry.
Step 5 – Working in batches, fry the leeks until lightly but uniformly browned. Using a slotted spoon or spider strainer, transfer the leeks to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.
For the herby ranch
To a large mixing bowl, add 1/4 cup of mayo, 1/4 cup of sour cream, a healthy drizzle of olive oil, dried herbs to taste, 1 teaspoon + more to taste of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon + more to taste of toasted onion powder, and freshly ground pepper. Mix well, adding 1-2 tablespoons of cream to loosen into a pourable consistency, and season to taste with salt.
To serve
Step 1 – Place the romanesco on a serving dish, and score deeply crosswise through the middle. You want to make crevasses for the ranch dressing.
Step 2 – Pour the dressing over the romanesco, top with crispy leeks and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
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