Cauliflower, Olive, Pepper and Caper Salad (Insalata di Rinforzo)
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Our love for cauliflower knows no bounds (we eat it roasted, riced, mashed and popcorn-style). But we didn’t know the Italians had a thing for the cruciferous veggie too—until we found Katie Parla’s recipe for cauliflower, olive, pepper and caper salad (insalata di rinforzo, if you’re fancy) from her new cookbook, Food of the Italian South.
“This Neapolitan holiday staple, also called burdiglione, is traditionally served on Christmas Eve to provide rinforzo (
We couldn’t possibly save this one for just Christmastime. Let’s eat.
Reprinted from Food of the Italian South. Copyright © 2019 by Katie Parla. Photographs copyright © 2019 by Ed Anderson. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC
Ingredients
Quick-Pickled Vegetables
3 cups white wine vinegar, plus more as needed
3 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
3 tablespoons sugar, plus more as needed
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
3 medium carrots, cut into ½-inch-thick rounds
2 red or yellow bell peppers, cut into 1-inch squares
2 celery stalks, cut into ½-inch-thick pieces
1 small red onion, halved and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
Salad
Sea salt, as needed
1 small head cauliflower, separated into florets
½ cup olives—rinsed, pitted and halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
6 salted anchovy fillets, cleaned and cut into ¼-inch pieces
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. Make the Quick-Pickled Vegetables: In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar with 3 cups water and bring to a simmer over low heat.
2. Add the kosher salt and sugar. When both have dissolved, taste the brine; it should taste balanced, like something you would put on your salad. Adjust as needed with vinegar, salt and sugar.
3. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, carrots and bell peppers to the brine. Return to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes, then add the celery. Return to a simmer and cook for 1 minute more, then add the onion and cook for 2 minutes more. Drain the vegetables in a colander, transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool.
4. Make the Salad: Fill a medium bowl with ice and water. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Salt the water and, when the salt has dissolved, add the cauliflower. Cook until tender but still holding its shape, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain the cauliflower and immediately plunge it into the ice bath to cool.
5. When the cauliflower is cool, drain and transfer to the bowl of pickled vegetables. Add the olives, capers, anchovies and parsley.
6. Pour the vinegar and olive oil over the vegetables and toss to coat. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Set aside to allow the flavors to marry—at least an hour or up to two days in the refrigerator—before serving.
Note: Alternatively, you can simmer each vegetable separately in step 3. You want the vegetables to be al dente but cooked through: Cook the carrots and bell peppers for about 5 minutes each, the celery for about 3 minutes and the onion for about 2 minutes.
199 calories
11g fat
19g carbs
4g protein
9g sugars
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Note: The information shown is Edamam's estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.