3-TIME COOKED CAULIFLOWER IN THE MONTALCINO MANNER
BOILED, FRIED, AND REDONE IN TOMATO SAUCE, A DELICACY FROM MONTALCINO’S GRANDMOTHERS. 3-TIME COOKED CAULIFLOWER IS FLAVOURFUL, INDIGESTIBLE AND EVEN DIETARY
by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, wine destination, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino
cavolo rifatto di Montalcino Fattoria del Colle Trequanda Donatella Cinelli Colombini
3-time cooked cauliflower can be served as an appetizer, a main course, or a side dish. In the Marche region, fried cauliflower is eaten without tomatoes and is delicious. The recipe I’m sharing is very tasty and can well enhance even banal dishes like roast beef or chicken breast. It harks back to grandmothers’ cooking, who, with humble ingredients, managed to create extraordinary flavours, warming the heart as well as the mouth.
This recipe also has another advantage: like all cabbage, it’s indigestible, so it fills for a long time and promotes weight loss.
It should be paired with the white wine used in cooking, so I recommend the IGT Toscana Sanchimento from Fattoria del Colle, a traminer with a hint of Grechetto, one-third of which is made following the Orange method.
INGREDIENTS AND DOSES FOR 3-TIME COOKED CAULIFLOWER (SERVES 4)
For the cauliflower: 1 large cauliflower, 100 g white flour, 1 egg, extra virgin olive oil, dry white wine, salt, and pepper.
For the tomato sauce: 500 g very ripe tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, half a red onion, 1 celery stalk, 1 carrot, and a few basil leaves.
3-TIME COOKED CAULIFLOWER, PREPARATION
The preparation is long and takes an hour and a half, but it’s incredibly easy. Even a complete novice can make this dish flawlessly.
Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water, then peel and chop them into large pieces. Wash the celery, carrot, onion, and garlic and chop them finely with a mezzaluna or in a blender. Pour the oil into the pan and add the vegetables. Let them brown, then add the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking over low heat for half an hour.
Wash the cauliflower and divide it into large pieces. Drop them into boiling salted water and remove them as soon as they’re soft. Place the flour in a bowl and whisk in the egg. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix together, adding the white wine and stirring until the batter is thick and smooth. Dip the cauliflower in the batter and immediately fry it in the pan with the oil. Once it’s golden brown on all sides, remove it from the pan and dry it on paper towels. Heat the tomato sauce and, once it’s hot, add the cauliflower. It only takes a few minutes to flavour the vegetable, and you can serve it hot in winter and warm in summer.