Yeasted Cauliflower Recipe - Great British Chefs

Step 1

Begin by preparing the pickled green grapes - these will be placed in the dehydrator and made into raisins later. Place the water, lemon juice, olive oil, Pernod, sugar, star anise, thyme and tarragon in a pan and bring to a simmer, melting the sugar and combining all of the ingredients. Add the picked white grapes, bring back to a simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to cool

Step 2

Once cooled, leave to infuse for 1 hour. Then, drain the grapes (reserving the liquid for serving) and place in the dehydrator overnight. Remove the grapes once they are semi-dried and resemble raisins. Set aside until required

Step 3

For the mint oil, blanch the mint leaves in salted boiling water for 1 minute. Refresh in iced water, squeeze as much liquid out of the mint as possible, then place into the dehydrator

Step 4

Once completely dry, add to a Thermomix and cover with the grapeseed oil. Bring up to 85°C, transfer to a muslin bag and hang over a jug to collect the liquid that drips through. Set aside until required

Step 5

To start preparing the cauliflowers, remove the green leaves from the head of each cauliflower. Cut the leaves from the stalk and discard

Step 6

Use a small paring knife to remove the florets from the cauliflowers. Select 12 of the largest pieces for the fondants and cut these in half through the stalk, allowing 6 halves for each portion

Step 7

Cut the remaining pieces into small florets. Blanch the small florets and stalks in salted boiling water for 1 minute, then refresh in iced water and set aside

Step 8

Reserve all of the trimmings from the cauliflowers and blitz into small pieces using a Robot Coupe – this will be used for the purée at a later stage

Step 9

To prepare the cauliflower slices, cut the cauliflower in half through the middle of the stalk and slice very finely on a meat slicer to achieve thin cross-sections of cauliflower. Reserve the trimmings for the purée

Step 10

Deep-fry the slices at 160°C/320°F until golden brown, season with fine salt and dry on kitchen paper

Step 11

For the yeasted cauliflower purée, place a heavy-based pan over a high heat and pan-roast the reserved cauliflower trimmings in the vegetable oil until they start to colour. Add the butter and heat until you are left with beurre noisette

Step 12

Turn down the heat and cook until the cauliflower is a dark brown colour. Remove any excess butter and return the cauliflower to the pan, adding the milk and crumbling in the fresh yeast. Cook for 2-3 minutes to allow the yeast to cook out, then add the milk and reduce

Step 13

Transfer the mixture to a blender and blitz until smooth. Season with salt and lemon juice, pass through a fine sieve and reserve

Step 14

To prepare the capers, drain and deep-fry at 180°C/356°F until crispy. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper and season while they are still hot

Step 15

Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F/gas mark 4

Step 16

Place a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add a knob of butter to the pan and once the butter begins to foam, add the cauliflower fondant pieces cut-side down. Season with salt and pepper

Step 17

Once the fondants have achieved a golden brown colour, turn over and repeat to colour as much of the surface as possible. Place in the oven for 3 minutes

Step 18

Meanwhile, place the raisins, small cauliflower florets and stalks into a small saucepan. Add a little of the pickling liquor from the grapes and a splash of the mint oil. Warm through on the stove until hot. Reheat the yeasted cauliflower purée in a separate pan

Step 19

Place small spoonfuls of cauliflower purée onto each plate. Sprinkle the crispy capers onto each spoonful of purée, followed by the fresh mint leaves

Step 20

Arrange the cauliflower fondants, raisins, stalks and florets as you wish, obtaining as much height as possible. Place a few of the cauliflower crisps on top and drizzle with mint oil. Serve immediately