![Spiced Chickpea Stew With Coconut and Turmeric](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/11/28/dining/28Romanrex1/merlin_143092557_a19cb00a-d1f1-4d42-83be-e4ac865d2f96-mediumThreeByTwo440.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Cauliflower With Anchovies and Crushed Olives
![Cauliflower With Anchovies and Crushed Olives](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/11/14/dining/14cauliflowerrex4/14cauliflowerrex4-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 4tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
- 4anchovies
- 1small head cauliflower, cut into small florets
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- ¾ cup green olives, such as Castelvetrano, pitted and crushed
- 2tablespoons fresh oregano or marjoram
- 2scallions, thinly sliced
- ½ preserved lemon, thinly sliced (optional)
- 1tablespoon white-wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
- ½ cup parsley, tender leaves and stems
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the anchovies, and let them melt and sizzle in the olive oil, about 2 minutes. Add about ¾ of the cauliflower, season with salt and pepper and stir to coat. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the cauliflower is browned on one side, 4 to 7 minutes. Add the olives and half of the oregano and give it a stir. Continue to cook until the cauliflower is completely softened and evenly browned, another 4 to 7 minutes.
- Step 2
Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl along with scallions, preserved lemon (if using), vinegar and remaining raw cauliflower. Season with salt, pepper and more vinegar, if you like.
- Step 3
Transfer cauliflower to a large serving platter or bowl and top with parsley, remaining oregano and a drizzle of olive oil.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
We LOVED this. Cauliflower and lemon and anchovies and garlic are regular staples in our house; we literally only needed to buy the fresh cauliflower to make this for dinner tonight. We tossed this with hot cavatelli pasta and topped with a generous amount of grated parm. Yes yes yes.
I'm a little late to the Alison Roman party, but better late than never. This is my first, but not my last, foray into her recipes. My only deviation from the instructions was to toss anchovy oil and cauliflower and then roast it all up on a sheet pan. It was amazingly easy and way more delicious than a recipe this simple has any right to be! (PS) As someone else suggested, next time I may try a few flakes or red pepper.
I made this with 1 big (3-pound) head of “cheddar” cauliflower (orange in color). I used 16 olives, 1 whole small preserved lemon, increased the amount of olive oil (in light of the greater cauliflower volume) and skipped the fresh marjoram/oregano and the vinegar. delicious!
Utterly delicious and crave-worthy! Roasted all of the cauliflower in the anchovy oil in 450 oven for 20 mins, adding olives and marjoram for last 7 mins. The preserved lemon and 1/2 chili from the jar added a nice touch of "yum - what is that?" while the olives provided a nice touch of saltiness (Les Moulins Mahjoub organic lemon/Catelvetrano olive). The recipe is well balanced and the 1 T of vinegar is perfect. Huge hit at Xmas dinner - we all kept going back for more!
Made this somewhat as written BUT cooked all of the cauliflower and used dried oregano and basil because that’s what I had on hand. No scallions but added two sliced garlic cloves midway through sauteeing the cauliflower. The key is the anchovies and lemon and olives and good olive oil - this is a great recipe template for adding other herbs and spices. Will definitely make it again.
Can’t claim to have made this delicious sounding recipe because I didn’t have all the bits, but what it inspired in my kitchen was tasty. Roasted cauliflower in a hot oven, used kalamata olives and dried Greek oregano because that’s what I had. No preserved lemon so I roasted a thinly sliced fresh lemon with the cauliflower. So good. Next time, perhaps some crispy chickpeas, roasted garlic cloves? Pine nuts? Capers? A drizzle of tahini lemon sauce? Thanks, Alison Roman!
This was fantastic! I deeply roasted the cauliflower, and I served it over farro (cooked with seafood broth) and chickpeas and could have eaten the whole pot. I of course used the anchovy oil in lieu of olive oil, and I buy a jar of pureed preserved lemon from the farmer's market.
This was only ok. Prepared to recipe but it was rather plain. Needed garlic!
Made exactly as written! Perfect and unbelievably delicious. Have shared with many family and friends.
One of my friends' favorites and mine as well. Included in my rotation
I didn’t have preserved lemons. I used Meyer lemon zest and capers. It was delicious
Really delicious. Simple ingredients with big impacts. Easy to put together.
I had high expectations given all the positive reviews but this just didn’t do it for me. I definitely regret the preserved lemons as it gave the whole dish a “cleaning supply” smell.
This was delicious. I added extra preserved lemon as another reviewer suggested, but should have been more cautious with adding salt in earlier steps given that. Pan roasting made the sardines almost totally turn to mush; next time I’ll try the oven as others suggested.
Delicious. I would recommend sautéing all the cauliflower.
I prepared this dish on a late January weeknight. Plated it with simple steamed kasha (buckwheat groats). Dang good. So earthy in contrast to the tonic flavor spectrum of the cauliflower dish. In the repertory now!
Loved this. I didn't have olives sub. capers ~1/4c. and chopped raw walnuts and hazelnuts, used some lemoncello for the fermented lemon and added stringbeans too. Also used about 1/2 oil. no scallions. Boy, this recipe is forgiving!
The good folks at Rancho Gordo suggest doing this but adding cannellini beans (or their special Marcella beans). Completely delicious. I'd double most of the other ingredients and add to freshly cooked beans.
Is it good made the day before? Would you re-heat it? Would it be good at room temperature? Thanks all!
Advertisement