Cauliflower au Vin

This vegetarian play on the French fundamental coq au vin benches the coq, or hen, and calls in deeply caramelized cauliflower as the neatly-known individual participant as an different. The trick to a corpulent-bodied sauce without the meat is to lean in to umami-boosting components, like dried porcini mushrooms, tomato paste, and soy sauce. For the crimson wine, make a choice a medium-bodied, dry selection that you simply’d are making an strive to drink. You’re handiest the usage of a cup within the sauce, so that leaves one other three so that you simply can back with the meal.

The cauliflower is factual, nevertheless the rich, savory, mushroomy crimson wine sauce is the effect it’s at. Be determined that that to back this dish with something carby to soak up all that delectable gravy. My disappear-to sides are mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or a entire bunch warmth bread.

Bought leftovers? Perform a French-inspired shepherd’s pie! Right here’s how: Gash up any leftover cauliflower and mix it abet into the sauce along with ½ cup thawed, frozen peas. Transfer the combination to a baking dish (the scale will count on how mighty you appreciate). High with a layer of mashed potatoes, dot the prime with some unsalted butter, effect the dish on a sheet pan, and bake at 400°F till the filling is warmed thru and the prime is golden, 30 to 35 minutes.

—Asha Loupy

Directions

1. Lift the vegetable inventory to a boil in a small saucepan over excessive warmth. Flip off the warmth, tear within the dried porcini, quilt, and allow to sit for Quarter-hour.
   
2. Meanwhile, put together the cauliflower: Orderly the fibrous, stalky leaves off the backside (the inner, tender leaves are elegant to proceed on). Reduce the cauliflower into 8 wedges, guaranteeing every wedge has most certainly the major inner stalk, preserving the florets together.
   
3. After Quarter-hour, take away the rehydrated mushrooms with a slotted spoon, squeeze to eradicate any further liquid, and finely gash them. Reserve the mushroom-infused inventory for later expend.
   
4. Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven or clear, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-excessive warmth till nearly smoking. Add the cauliflower in a single layer, gently urgent the pieces all of the method down to be determined that the crop side has contact with the hot pan. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt and cook undisturbed till deeply golden and caramelized on one side, 6 to eight minutes. Transfer the browned wedges to a plate (it’s ok if some of them delivery to descend apart).
   
5. Relish the pot over medium-excessive warmth and add the butter and final 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the butter is melted, add the mushrooms, stirring to coat them within the elephantine, spreading them into an even layer. Cook dinner, undisturbed, till they delivery to expose golden, about 4 minutes. High-tail and proceed to cook till caramelized, one other 4 to five minutes.
   
6. Add the shallots, carrots, final 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper, lower the warmth to medium, and cook, stirring now and again, till the shallots soften and unswerving delivery to expose light golden, 5 to 7 minutes.
   
7. Add the garlic and cook till tender and fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, soy sauce, thyme, bay leaves, rosemary, flour, and chopped porcini. Cook dinner, stirring most regularly, till the tomato paste turns brick crimson, 2 to a jiffy.
   
8. High-tail within the crimson wine and cognac and cook, scraping up any bits caught to the backside of the pan, till the combination begins to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes.
   
9. Add the reserved vegetable inventory, deliver to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, till the combination starts to thicken as soon as more, 4 to five minutes. Taste and regulate salt and sugar, if predominant. (If the crimson wine I’m the usage of is bigger with the next acidity, I’ll most regularly add ¼ to ½ teaspoon brown sugar, for steadiness.)
   
10. Nestle the cauliflower within the crimson wine sauce, caramelized side up, submerging the wedges about three-quarters of the fashion, and spooning some sauce over the prime. Veil the pot a big selection of the fashion, lower the warmth to medium-low, and cook, basting the prime of the cauliflower a pair instances, till the stems can without issues be pierced with a paring knife, 22 to 26 minutes. (I love my cauliflower to soundless withhold a exiguous chunk, nevertheless whenever you will want yours meltingly tender, you would possibly want to cook it for up to 40 minutes.)
    
11. To back, take away the bay leaves and rosemary sprig and enact with a sprinkle of new parsley. Abilities hot with mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or a entire bunch crusty bread. Leftovers will assign to five days within the fridge (test out the Author Notes for a enjoyable system to reinvent them into a new meal).