Breaking rules

Passport & Plate - Cauliflower risotto with apples and chocolate

United Kingdom | Friday, March 14, 2014 | 3 photos

Ingredients
1. Cauliflower: 2 heads
2. Butter: 50 grams
3. Chicken stock: 200 ml
4. Banana Shallot: 2
5. Garlic: 3 cloves
6. Bayleaf – 1
7. Cream: 100 ml
8. Milk: 100 ml
9. Salt
10. Pepper
11. Granny smith apple – one
12. Dark chocolate (80% cocoa): 20 grams
13. Parmesan cheese: 15 grams
14. Micro cress

 

How to prepare this recipe
1. Peel, core and chop the apples. Roast in an oven at 200 degrees for 40 minutes and pass the apples through a fine sieve

2. Chop the florets of one head of cauliflower. In a saucepan, add 25 grams of butter, finely chop a shallot and two cloves of garlic and sweat until soft and translucent. Add the cauliflower and bayleaf and add the milk and cream and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or until soft. Take out the bay leaf and puree with just enough liquid to make a smooth creamy puree. Pass through a fine sieve

3. Grate the florets of another head of cauliflower, coarsely to resemble risotto rice. In a saucepan add 25 grams of butter and add another finely chopped shallots and a clove of garlic and sweat until translucent. Add the grated cauliflower and cook for a few minutes until lightly caramelised. Add the chicken stock and cook out until the mixture it is absorbed. Add in a tablespoon of Parmesan and thicken and cream the mixture with a few tablespoons of cauliflower puree until thick and creamy. The grains should be just tender with a bit of bite to it or al dente .

4. Add a tablespoon of apple puree on the plate and plate the risotto on top. Grate the chocolate over the risotto and garnish with a handful of micro cress.

 

The story behind this recipe
I believe the recipe that i have entered is an extension of my personality. First of all, it symbolises my current lifestyle. Being an obese kid for 18 years of my life, i managed to lose 36 kilos in 6 months through clean eating and exercise. This is a dish i would prepare while losing weight since it does not include rice which i had stopped eating while retaining and not compromising the texture and flavours of a risotto. It is also a balanced dish with the sweet rich cauliflower, tangy sharp apples and bitter chocolate. Secondly, it also defines my philosophy in cooking. I believe we should move out from the traditional practices, break rules and innovate while still respecting the roots of modern cuisine. By that i mean, having a fruit in a main course might sound strange to some people and the same goes with chocolate. These are ingredients people would think of for desserts. However, cooking a main course with fruits and chocolates and in return, making an ice cream for example with savoury ingredients cauliflower should be embraced and savoured. I believe innovation and clean eating is the way forward in cuisine since a lot of people are health conscious as well these days and this recipe is a combination of both. I believe a dish cooked by a cook should be an extension of his or her's personality and this does just that.