Cauliflower Maque Choux Food

CAULIFLOWER MAQUE CHOUX

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
• Toss cauliflower with oil, kosher salt, and pepper in a bowl. Spread in 1 layer in a shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pan and roast, turning over with tongs halfway through roasting, until golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes total. Transfer cauliflower with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, then carefully pour oil from baking pan through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl.
• While cauliflower roasts, bring hominy and cream just to a simmer in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, then remove from heat and let stand, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat butter and 2 tablespoons strained oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook ham (if using), stirring, 2 minutes. Add onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add vinegar and stock and simmer briskly, uncovered, until liquid is reduced by about half, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Stir in hominy mixture and corn and simmer, uncovered, 2 minutes. Add cauliflower and salt to taste and simmer, stirring once or twice, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in parsley.

CAULIFLOWER MAC N CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil for pasta. Salt the water and undercook the pasta by 2 minutes, about 5 to 6 minutes.
• While the water comes to a boil, in a covered Dutch oven heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Cut the core away from the cauliflower and set the head into the pot and add 1 cup stock, cover and steam 12 to 15 minutes until tender. Remove and separate the cauliflower into florets. Discard water from pot.
• Over medium heat in the same pot, melt the butter, then add onions and garlic. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes, until tender. Add in the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Whisk in the whole milk and season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and sage. When thickened, stir in the Dijon mustard and 2/3 of the combined cheeses.
• Drain the pasta, add to the cauliflower, stir in the cheese sauce, transfer to baking dish, top with remaining cheese. Cool completely and cover for a make-ahead meal.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bake until brown on a baking sheet to catch the bubble-over. The casserole will take 40 to 45 minutes to heat through.
• Garnish bowls of cauli-mac-n-cheese with chopped spicy watercress.

CAULIFLOWER MAQUE CHOUX

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F
• Toss cauliflower with oil, kosher salt, and pepper in a bowl. Spread in 1 layer in a shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pan and roast, turning over with tongs halfway through roasting, until golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes total. Transfer cauliflower with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, then carefully pour oil from baking pan through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl.
• While cauliflower roasts, bring hominy and cream just to a simmer in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, then remove from heat and let stand, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat butter and 2 tablespoons strained oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook ham (if using), stirring, 2 minutes. Add onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add vinegar and stock and simmer briskly, uncovered, until liquid is reduced by about half, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Stir in hominy mixture and corn and simmer, uncovered, 2 minutes. Add cauliflower and salt to taste and simmer, stirring once or twice, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in parsley.

MAQUE CHOUX

Steps:

• Saute the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeno pepper in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat 10 minutes or until tender.
• Stir in corn, tomatoes, and Creole seasoning; reduce heat to low.
• Cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

MAQUE CHOUX

Steps:

• Working with 1 corn cob at a time, set the ear of corn upright in a medium bowl. Shave the corn from the cob by slicing down the sides using the tip of a sharp chef's knife, holding the knife almost vertical. (This gives you neat tablets of corn that land squarely in the bowl and keeps the kernels from scattering all over the counter.) Using the back of the knife, scrape each cob to release all the nibs and the "milk" of the kernels into the bowl. Repeat with remaining ears of corn, then snap the cobs in half, and add them to the bowl.
• In a large, deep sauté pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat until foaming. Add onion and celery, and season with 1 or 2 pinches of kosher salt. Stir constantly until softened and translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add 2 tablespoons butter and the bell pepper, poblano and serrano, and stir constantly, adding another pinch of kosher salt, letting the butter melt and the peppers soften and become translucent, about 2 or 3 minutes. You will smell the peppers' sweetness and their mild capsaicin releasing.
• Add the final 3 tablespoons butter and the corn mixture from the bowl, cobs included, and another pinch of kosher salt. Stir constantly to coat with the butter and combine thoroughly.
• When everything starts to hiss and sound hot, but isn't cooking so hard as to take color, add 1/2 cup water and a healthy few grinds of black pepper, and cover the pan for a couple of minutes to steam/shallow braise the mixture.
• Remove the lid, and stir well, noticing the corn releasing its liquid and the kernels softening, and the cobs turning somewhat translucent, if however vague. You will notice a general softening and melding together. Return the lid, and let cook a few more minutes, noticing the water evaporating and the remaining liquid reducing and gaining some "body" and gloss. Discard the corn cobs, but do suck them before tossing - those buttery juices make a nice cook's treat.
• Taste for salt, and serve. It should be sweet, spicy, a bit wet and surprisingly complex, given the few ingredients and their ordinariness. If you want a smoky taste, add a good pinch of smoked paprika.

BEST EVER CAULIFLOWER MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cook the cauliflower in simmering water until tender. Use a slotted spoon to remove.
• Cut the cauliflower florets into bite size pieces.
• Return water to the boil and cook the pasta in the same water. Drain.
• Combine the melted butter, breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl and set aside.
• Melt the butter in medium sauce pan.
• Add flour mixed with salt, nutmeg and pepper, using a whisk to stir until well blended.
• Slowly add the milk and cream, stirring continuously until blended.
• Simmer for 2 minutes or until it thickens, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat and add the cheese, stirring until melted.
• Combine the pasta, cauliflower and cheese sauce and transfer to a buttered casserole dish.
• Top with the breadcrumb mixture.
• Bake for 20 minutes, until the breadcrumbs form a crispy crust.