Cauliflower Macaroni, Belgian Endive Salad with Insane Dressing and Lovely Stewed Fruit

From Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes by Jamie Oliver. Copyright (C) Jamie Oliver. 2010, 2011. Published by Hyperion.

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Ingredients

8 slices pancetta		1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 large head cauliflower		2 Tablespoons plain yogurt
1 pound dried elbow macaroni		3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
9 ounces sharp cheddar cheese		a few capers, drained
4 thick slices country bread		18 ripe plums, or a mixture of any stone fruit you like, such as nectarines or apricots
A few sprigs fresh rosemary		1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
3 cloves garlic		2 Tablespoons superfine sugar
1 cup creme fraiche		1 orange
parmesan cheese, to serve		1 cinnamon stick, optional
2 large heads red endive (or 1 large radicchio)		splash of brandy
2 heads Belgian endive		1 pint good-quality vanilla ice cream
1 small bunch fresh basil
1/4 2 ounce can anchovies in oil, drained

directions

Prep: 30 min Total: 30 min (Quick)

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1
TO START
Get all your ingredients and equipment ready. Fill and boil the kettle. Turn the oven on to 425ºF. Put the coarse grater attachment into the food processor.
2
CAULIFLOWER MACARONI
Lay the pancetta in a roasting pan (approx. 9 x 13 inches, or large enough to bake the pasta in) and put on the top shelf of the oven. Get rid of any tatty outer leaves from the cauliflower, then trim off the tough base of the stalk and quarter the head. Put in a large saucepan, core downwards, with the pasta, on a high heat. Cover with boiling water, filling and reboiling the kettle if necessary. Season with a good pinch of salt, drizzle over a little olive oil, then stir and cook following the package instructions, with the lid askew.
3
STEWED FRUIT
Halve and stone the plums and put them into another large roasting pan with 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste or extract and 2 heaping tablespoons of superfine sugar. Peel in the zest from ½ the orange, then squeeze in all the juice. Add the cinnamon stick, snapped in half, and stir in a good slug of brandy, if using. Put on the bottom shelf of the oven. They will be perfect after about 15 minutes.
4
CAULIFLOWER MACARONI
Grate the Cheddar in the food processor and tip into a bowl. Fit the standard blade attachment, then get your pancetta out of the oven and blitz in the processor with the bread, rosemary leaves, and a good drizzle of olive oil until you have a coarse breadcrumb consistency. Put a colander over a large bowl to catch the pasta water, then drain the pasta and cauliflower. Tip into the roasting pan you cooked your pancetta in, and put over a low heat. Add 1 2⁄3 cups of the reserved pasta water from the bowl. Crush in the 2 unpeeled cloves of garlic and mix in the crème fraîche and grated Cheddar, gently breaking up the cauliflower with tongs or a potato masher. Have a taste and correct the seasoning. It should be nice and loose; if not, add another splash of the pasta water. Spread out evenly and scatter over the breadcrumbs. Put on the top shelf of the oven for about 8 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.
5
STEWED FRUIT
If the plums look soft and juicy, take them out of the oven and set aside. If not, leave them in a little longer.
6
SALAD
Trim the bases of the endives and pull the leaves apart over a serving platter. Quickly pick the basil leaves and scatter the small ones all over the salad. Put a small frying pan on a medium to low heat. Put the bigger basil leaves into a blender. Crush in the last unpeeled garlic clove, then add a good pinch of salt & pepper, ¼ the can of anchovies plus a little of their oil, 1 teaspoon of mustard, 2 tablespoons of yogurt, 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar and about the same amount of extra virgin olive oil. Add a small splash of water and whiz until smooth. Add a splash of olive oil and the capers to the hot frying pan. Fry for a few minutes until crispy. Taste the dressing to check for acidity, then pour into a jug. Sprinkle the crispy capers all over the leaves and take to the table with the jug of dressing. You won’t need all the dressing – keep any extra in the refrigerator for another day.
7
TO SERVE
When the cauliflower macaroni is golden and bubbling, take it to the table and shave over some Parmesan. If the fruit is still in the oven, take it out and put it to one side. Take the ice cream out of the freezer to soften. When ready, serve the fruit in small glasses, layered up with vanilla ice cream.

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Cauliflower Macaroni, Belgian Endive Salad with Insane Dressing and Lovely Stewed Fruit

Ingredients

directions