For vegetarians, cauliflower is veg patch royalty. This dish captures all that is right about the marriage of grains and vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower, outer leaves removed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 3 large banana shallots, quartered
- 4 Portobello mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tsp thyme leaves
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 150ml red wine
- 100g young leaf spinach
- 350g wheatberries
- 1l hot vegetable stock
- 50g hazelnuts (skin on), roughly chopped
- ½ tsp crushed pink peppercorns
- 50g vegetarian parmesan, finely grated
Method
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Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Sit the cauliflower head upside down on a chopping board and cut the tough stem away. Leave some of the base so that the cauliflower remains intact.
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Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish on a low-medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and, once they begin to ‘pop’, add the shallots. Fry gently for 4-5 mins until starting to caramelise, then add the mushrooms, thyme and garlic, and cook for a further 4-5 mins, stirring every so often. Pour in the wine and reduce by half. Stir in the spinach and allow the leaves to wilt.
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Next, add the wheatberries, season well and combine. Make a well in the centre and put the cauliflower in the middle. Pour the stock around – not over – the caulifower, then season.
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Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 50 mins-1 hr until the cauliflower and wheatberries are tender. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the hazelnuts, peppercorns and Parmesan over the cauliflower. Return to the oven for a further 5 mins, then serve.