Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower, Tarragon Cream, and Almond Smørrebrød
From Nichole Accettola's 'Scandinavian From Scratch'
Roasted Cauliflower , Tarragon Cream , and Almond Smørrebrød
When I first moved to the Bay Area, I was struck by the bounty, variety, and quality of local produce available at farmers’ markets. A chef’s dream come true! This vegetarian sandwich was originally created as an ode to cauliflower and romanesco, and I encourage you to use both if you have access. For those who don’t, it’s delicious made solely with cauliflower.
Oven-roasted cauliflower on its own is underrated, and it’s even better when paired with good bread and a cold herb sauce. It isn’t ideal to reheat roasted cauliflower, so I suggest that you roast the cauliflower on the day that you want to eat these sandwiches, letting it cool to room temperature and never refrigerating it.
MAKES 6 SANDWICHES
1 head cauliflower and 1 head Romanesco (or 2 heads cauliflower; about 2½ pounds/1.1 kg total)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup (40 g) almond slivers
Tarragon cream
Leaves from 2 bunches of tarragon, chopped (about ¼ cup), plus more for garnish
5 tablespoons (76 g) sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For assembly
6 freshly cut slices Sprouted Rye Bread (page 198)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
Preheat the oven to 375°F (175°C).
Cut the cauliflower and romanesco (if using) in half, remove and discard the stems, and break the florets into 1 ½-to 2-inch (3.5 to 5 cm) pieces.
In a medium bowl, toss the florets together with the salt and olive oil until lightly coated. Spread the florets out on two baking trays, being sure to leave space between the florets as this allows air to crisp their tips, and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until golden brown and tender.
Place the almonds in an oven-safe dish and toast them in the oven with the cauliflower for the last 15 minutes of its roasting time, until golden brown. Let both the cauliflower and almonds cool to room temperature.
MEANWHILE, MAKE THE TARRAGON CREAM
In a small bowl, mix together the tarragon, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You should be able to taste the tarragon as well as the zing from the lemon juice and mustard. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
ASSEMBLE
Lay the bread slices on a work surface. Lightly butter each slice, making sure to butter all the way to the edges but not over. Top each slice of bread with about 1 tablespoon of the tarragon cream and spread it out completely. (Any extra sauce makes an excellent condiment for grilled fish or meat!) Arrange the cauliflower carefully over the top, covering the entire surface of each slice with the most appealing bits and pieces facing up. Give the smørrebrød a sprinkle of salt and a grind of pepper and garnish each with a large pinch of the almonds and a sprinkle of tarragon. Serve immediately.
Scandinavian From Scratch, Copyright © 2023 by Nichole Accettola. Photographs copyright © 2023 by Anders Schønnemann. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Random House.