Steamed Romanesco with Tomato Leek Glaze

You can also do this dish with cauliflower, or even with thick carrots roll cut into 1-inch chunks. As far as seasoning goes, you could run anywhere from herbs such as thyme, and marjoram or use lovage (tastes sort of like a cross between flat parsley and the leaves of the center of a celery head), to spices with a Mid-East or Indian bent. Think garlic and cinnamon, or cumin and coriander, or curry. This iteration runs towards the European with marjoram and lovage.

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium to large head of romanesco, florets cut away and stem saved for something else, large florets cut ½ x 1 inch roughly

1 teaspoon fresh marjoram, chopped with a thin and super sharp knife

2 tablespoons lovage leaves, cleaned and dried, cut into narrow ribbons-optional (Taste the lovage and the sauce and see if it fits your mood)

Salt and pepper to taste

½-1 cup, or as needed, Tomato Leek Sauce/Glaze (see recipe)

Optional- 1 tablespoon fragrant, not peppery olive oil (The oil adds an extra layer of flavor and some richness to the dish)

METHOD:

Set up a steamer large enough to hold all the romanesco in a layer 2-2½ inches deep and start the water boiling.

If using the oil, toss the oil with the florets and season with salt and pepper and herbs. If not using the oil, season, and scatter with the marjoram in the bowl. Toss to distribute the herbs and seasoning evenly.

Warm the tomato glaze in a small pan over low heat.

Put the florets into the steamer, being sure they are not sitting in water. Cook until the florets are mostly tender, but still retain a little crunch. Remove from the steamer and put in the bowl used to season the romanesco earlier. Pour the Tomato Leek Glaze over the florets and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving dish and scatter the lovage, if using, over the dish.

Serve hot.

Chef’s Notes: This dish done with cauliflower or carrots is so easy to switch around, and provides great flavor. Instead of the herbs listed, for the Tomato Glaze, try cilantro and/or mint with cumin and coriander. Garlic and cinnamon is great. Lavender, pepper, a little fennel and cardamom works well. Just look at the other flavors and think of what will bridge the flavors and go with the tomato.

Serves: 4

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen