“Fond” of This Cauliflower
Fond Cauliflower
Did you know that those little brown bits in the bottom of your roasting pan have a name? Well, a name other than drippings or little brown bits.
They are sometimes called fond, or the fond. It is from the French word for base- also referring to the base of a sauce. I used the fond from a roasted turkey breast when making my cauliflower.
The picture of this cauliflower does not do it justice. It was so tasty. It was one of those dishes that happened by accident. Now, it is one of my favorite ways to make cauliflower.
Here is how the whole thing happened. I was roasting a turkey breast for dinner. I also was serving cauliflower, but had not yet decided just what to do with the cauliflower. I had cooked the cauliflower until tender, and then mashed it. But I wasn’t using dairy with dinner- so no added butter or milk to my mashed cauliflower.
I had just taken the turkey breast out to rest when I looked at the bottom of the roasting pan. I hadn’t planned on making gravy, but did not want to waste all the flavor in that roasting pan. It suddenly occurred to me to just use the cauliflower to get out that flavor.
The turkey breast was lean, so there wasn’t too much fat in the bottom of the roasting pan. I would have removed some, if there was a lot of fat. I had also seasoned the turkey, so some of the herbs were also in the fond. I just dumped the hot, mashed cauliflower into the pan, I tossed it around, to get as much of the flavors from the fond as possible. Since the pan was on top of the stove, I turned the heat on under it for a few minutes, as I tossed the cauliflower around. Then I removed the cauliflower and plated it for dinner. It didn’t need any other seasoning. It had a rich, roasted flavor.
I wish I could say there was an exact recipe for this dish. There isn’t. Just be sure to have a cup or two of cauliflower for each serving. It will cook down a lot. I cooked the cauliflower ahead of time and just tossed it into the pan. You could cook the cauliflower right in the roasting pan, if you prefer. I would chop it up pretty fine, if you are going to do that. It will shorten the cook time considerably.
It was just one of those moments when, afterwards, I wondered why I had never thought to do this before. The cauliflower tasted like it had roasted for a long time. Better still, none of the lovely flavors of the fond were lost.
I can certainly see doing this with other veggies like Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots or mushrooms.
Roasted Curry Cauliflower Soup
Roasted Curry Cauliflower Soup
This may be one of my favorite soups yet. Creamy and flavorful it was a big hit at dinner last night. This recipe was inspired by what I had on hand and a dinner planned with friends. It started with this enormous cauliflower I had picked up at a produce market. I knew I wanted to use it. I had thought of just roasting it and having it as a side. I also knew we needed a soup for dinner. Ended up roasting the cauliflower anyway but using it as part of the soup. Added other veggies for color as well as flavor. I also made sure to get it really smooth. I used an immersion blender but it could have been processed in a blender. We topped it with croutons, but it could be served without, if you prefer.
Roasted Curry Cauliflower Soup
3 onions, peeled and sliced
1 large cauliflower, cut into flowerets
3 T. oil
salt
6 c. stock- chicken or veggie- or more if needed
2 medium or 1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 can ( 13.5 oz.) coconut milk
1 c. half and half- or more coconut milk, if you prefer
2 T. curry powder
2 t. turmeric
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degree. Place onions in and cauliflower in roasting pan and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle on some salt and place in oven. Roast until veggies are turning golden brown, stirring occasionally. This will take about 20-30 minutes. Place cauliflower mixture in a crock pot and add the stock and other vegetables and cook on high for at least 4 hours. Add remaining ingredients and puree soup until smooth. Adjust seasonings. You can add more stock if soup is too thick. Serve as is or top with croutons when serving. Serves 6-8.
