Loading ...Cauliflower Fondue with Asiago and Smoked Paprika
by Peggy Fallon
from Great Party Fondues
(John Wiley & Sons, 2008)
Makes 3 cups of fondue or 10 to 12 appetizer servings
If you don’t announce the name of this fondue, most people will be hard-pressed to identify the main ingredient as cauliflower. Serve this creamy cauliflower fondue with cubes of crusty whole-grain bread and an assortment of oven-roasted vegetables, like tiny red-skinned new potatoes, baby carrots, large squares of red bell pepper, and zucchini chunks.
convert Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1-inch florets
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese
Method
1. In a large saucepan fitted with a steamer basket, bring about 2 inches of water to a boil over high heat. Add the cauliflower florets, cover, and cook until the florets are very tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.
2. In a food processor or blender, combine half of the cauliflower and half of the cream. Pulse until the cauliflower is finely chopped. Repeat, adding the remaining florets and cream to the chopped cauliflower and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the butter, lemon juice, salt, and smoked paprika, and puree until smooth. Add the cheese and blend well.
3. Return the cauliflower fondue to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes.
4. Transfer to a fondue pot, preferably enameled cast iron, and serve at once. Regulate the heat under the pot, if possible, so that the fondue remains warm, not hot.
Recipe © 2008 King Hill Productions. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
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[Brenda Carleton] What a fabulous fondue recipe! The texture is great, as is the flavour. The Asiago and smoked paprika go so well with the cauliflower. Nice to have a different fondue for a change. I’m very impressed with this recipe. The only thing I would do differently is add more cheese.
[Nancy A. Mosher] This dish almost didn’t make it to the fondue pot. Once I tasted it, I had to keep on tasting just a little more, and then again. I could have eaten the whole fondue and called it dinner. The smoky flavor of the paprika perfectly complements the cauliflower and cheese. The flavors are rich, but because the base is cauliflower, it’s not heavy in the least. A true winner of a recipe.
[Steve Subera] The author was right; the fondue didn’t taste like cauliflower. Instead, there was a pleasant seafood taste. This is my Testers’ Choice because the recipe uses a minimal amount of the right ingredients to convey an entirely new taste and that is not easy to pull off.
[Jeremy Schweitzer] This was a treat for everyone that tried it and, while not a particularly healthy way to eat your vegetables, it’s probably worth the occasional splurge. This fondue might be a fun way to introduce some cooked cauliflower into a kid’s diet.
[Robyn Rice-Foster] I will make this fondue again and again. It’s something new and refreshing to serve at parties, plus it puts a different spin on using cauliflower to cook with. This is an easy recipe to follow.