Whole Roasted Romanesco with Herby Ranch & Fried Leeks

20 minutes prep 45-60 minutes active cooking 1 hour + 5 minutes total

Makes 2-4 servings

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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
Dried Thyme to taste

From our shop

Out of stock

For frying and as needed, Novo Frantoio
$27.00– Tuscany - Italy

1/4 cup of Smooth & Creamy Real Mayonnaise
$9.00– Greenville - South Carolina

To taste, Oregano
$9.00– Pantelleria - Sicily

Out of stock

1 teaspoon + more as needed of Purple Stripe Garlic
$10.00– Cao Bằng - Vietnam

1 teaspoon + more as needed of Toasted Onion Powder
$10.00– Vĩnh Phúc - Vietnam

To taste, Italian Fine Sea Salt
$7.00– Trapani - Sicily

Out of stock

To taste, freshly ground Aranya Peppercorns
$12.00– Oakland - California

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.