Charred Romanesco With Anchovies And Mint Recipes

Steps:

• Put the currants in a small bowl and cover with boiled water. Leave to soak for 1 hr. Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.
• Arrange the romanesco in a roasting tin in a single layer. Add 2 tbsp of the oil, season and toss to combine. Roast for 20 mins until tender (keep an eye on it as it cooks more quickly than cauliflower), tossing halfway through to make sure it's evenly coloured.
• Meanwhile, cook the shallots in the remaining oil over a medium heat for about 10 mins until golden. Reduce the heat and add the garlic, chilli flakes and anchovies and cook for 2 mins more. Gently press the anchovies with the back of a wooden spoon to help them dissolve. Drain the currants and add to the pan along with the capers, nuts, herbs and lemon juice. Toss with the roasted romanesco and transfer to a serving plate.

Steps:

• Put a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, with a large knife, cut the cauliflower into quarters. Cut off the tough core at the stem end of each piece. Cut cauliflower quarters into rough 1/2-inch slices. Cut larger slices into several pieces, so all the chopped cauliflower is about the same size.
• Salt boiling water generously and add chopped cauliflower. Cook for 2 minutes, then drain and spread out on a baking sheet to cool.
• In a large bowl, put garlic, anchovy, olives, capers, olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest. Whisk ingredients together and taste. Adjust salt or lemon juice as necessary.
• Add blanched cauliflower to the bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add a generous pinch of red-pepper flakes, or add to taste, and toss cauliflower with your hands to coat evenly with dressing.
• Transfer mixture to a shallow baking dish, small roasting pan or sheet pan. (Recipe may be prepared up to this point several hours ahead of baking.)
• To finish, heat oven to 450 degrees. Bake cauliflower, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until top is browned and beginning to char in some places. For extra char, place dish under broiler for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve at room temperature with a sprinkling of parsley and scallions. Drizzle with a little more olive oil, if desired.

Steps:

• Put the spaghetti in a large pot of well-salted rapidly boiling water and cook only until firmly al dente. (Depending on the brand of pasta, this will be 8 to 10 minutes, but check frequently to see. )
• While the pasta is cooking, warm the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, without letting it brown. Stir in the anchovies, capers and red pepper and cook for a half-minute more, then turn off the heat.
• Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Pour in the garlic mixture, add the parsley, if using, and toss well to coat. Serve with grated Parmesan if desired.

Steps:

• Heat the grill to its highest setting and bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Wash the leeks, remove and discard the outer layers and add to the pan. Cook for 2 mins until starting to soften, then immediately transfer to a bowl of ice-cold water. Once cold, drain, pat dry and cut in half lengthways, put on a baking tray, cut-side down, rub over 2 tbsp of the oil and season.
• Blitz the garlic and the anchovies in a mini food processor to form a paste. With the motor running, add the mustard, 2 tbsp lemon juice, the egg yolks and some seasoning, then gradually add the rest of the oil, drop by drop, until the sauce has thickened and emulsified. Stir in the Parmesan, taste for seasoning and add more lemon juice, if you like. Divide the dressing between two bowls. Add water to one bowl until it is a drizzling consistency. Store the other bowl in the fridge for another day - it works well with roast lamb or in sandwiches. Will keep in the fridge for 2 days.
• Grill the leeks for 5 mins until charred, then transfer to a serving platter, scatter over the hazelnuts and parsley, and drizzle with the anchovy dressing.