What is Cauliflower Polenta?
Cauliflower polenta is a riff on the traditional Italian polenta made. This version incorporates riced cauliflower with cornmeal to create a creamy and cheesy polenta with the subtle taste of cauliflower. The texture is smooth, the color is golden and the flavors are salty and savory.
Ingredients
Chicken stock is made by simmering chicken bones, vegetables and seasonings, such as herbs and salt. This combination is set to simmer for 6-8 hours. The result is a thin broth with a golden color and a meaty, vegetal and comforting flavor, with hints of salt. Chicken broth is used in many dishes and is a main ingredient in soups and stews.
Cauliflower is a round cruciferous vegetable, meaning it is in the same family as broccoli and cabbage. It grows in soil on a short, sturdy white stalk. The part of cauliflower used in food preparation is the head of the plant and is white and has a bumpy texture composed of tiny white plant particles, called curds, as it looks a bit similar to cheese curds. Cauliflower is crumbly, dense and best when cooked. It has a sweet and vegetal flavor that is mild. Cauliflower is used in many dishes across the world.
Cornmeal is ground from corn kernels and can be white or yellow. Unlike finely textured corn flour, corn meal is coarser. Cornmeal has a sweet and nutty taste. It is similar in flavor to fresh corn, though less sugary. Cornmeal provides a texture to baked goods that is denser and is less refined than wheat flour, but still light. It is one of the main ingredients in cornbread, a quick bread dear to the American South.
Cheddar cheese is an aged dairy product made from cow's milk and has an off white color and a dense texture. Some varieties are pale yellow or orange. It is made into a wheel and is often sold as a small block, in slices or grated. The flavor of cheddar is sharp and pungent. It is a popular cheese in the Western world and melts nicely.
Butter is made from churned cream, usually from a cow. It has a cream color and a texture that is smooth and melts easily. The flavor is mild, creamy and salty. Butter is often sold in square sticks, or as a flat or round block. It is delicious on bread, in baked goods and makes an excellent cooking fat.
Salt is a mineral composed mostly of sodium chloride. It is the main flavoring used in food and is naturally occurring in certain foods, such as cheese, beets, meat and celery, plus many others. Salt is white and has finer granules than sugar. Many commercial salts include iodide, while others exclude it. Most salts are white, while some are naturally pale pink with minerals. Salt brings out the flavor of something and can create a tangy mouthfeel, if used in excess.
The peppercorn plant grows in tropical climate and produces tiny black fruit. The fruit is dried and become hard. At this point it is ground into a textured powder comprised of black and grey dots. It has a flavor that is spicy, pungent and sharp. Pepper is an extremely popular spice, especially in Western cuisines and lends a gentle heat to dishes. There are different varieties of black pepper and the flavor changes subtly because of this.
