Follow breadcrumbs to a delicious meal

Stories over the ages have been told about breadcrumbs -- following a trail; feeding mynah birds, evading the evil witch in the forest. This is not one of those stories.

Those who cook, professionally, for a family or for themselves often fall back on the same-old-same-old way to cook certain foods, especially vegetables.  Boil them, roast them, steam them, cover them with sauce. 

But if you have breadcrumbs in the pantry, or dry bread you can hammer into crumbs, and a bit of hard cheese in the bottom of the frig, there is an interesting—potentially new to you--way to jazz up members of the cruciferous family: cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and their cousins, kale and bok choy. 

In recent years it has become trendy to roast these to caramelize the edges and bring out some natural sugars.  Sometimes this adds a welcome umami flavor, but it can also result in a bit of unwanted bitterness.

There is an alternative.  Actually there are probably a zillion alternatives, but this is a fast, easy one, using a limited number of ingredients and resulting in tremendous taste and texture.

When you sauté bread crumbs in olive oil and/or butter, add cooked cauliflower to the toasted crumbs and add a sprinkling of grated hard cheese, magic occurs.  Really, that’s it.  The bread crumbs replicate the mouth feel of the cheese on the vegetable.  It is like eating cheese dusted florets with every bite.  

Just sprinkling cheese on the hot cooked vegetable does not do the same thing because it melts.  While broccoli and cheese is classic, broccoli —or cauliflower -- toasted breadcrumbs and cheese is fantastic.  You will not be sorry you tried this. The fancy name for this dish is Polonaise, and to elevate it to the namesake, add a minced hardboiled egg and some parsley.  But there's no need to do so.

Cauliflower with Parmesan cheese

1 head cauliflower (or broccoli crown) (or cabbage wedges), (Brussels sprouts), rinsed, outside leaves removed and cut into bite size pieces

Salt

½ stick (2 oz.) butter; (or 2 T butter, 2 T olive oil)

1 cup bread crumbs (more or less, personal preference); gluten free bread is ok

2-3 ounces grated Parmigiano- Reggiano (or any hard cheese)

Steps:

1. Cut cauliflower in half, cut or break up into floret ends—all roughly the same size; chop stalk in similar, smallish pieces
2. Bring salted water to boil in saucepan large enough to submerge all veg
3. Drop stalk pieces in water first, wait a few beats, add florets
4. When cauliflower is easily pierced with small knife, (about 5 minutes), remove from heat, drain in colander and run cold water over veg to stop cooking.  Alternatively, steam cauliflower in about ¼ inch salted water in bottom of large pot or frying pan.
5. Alternatively, roast cauliflower:  break florets into smallish pieces or slices, toss with oil, salt and pepper and roast in single layer on oiled tray, 400-425 degree oven, 15 minutes, until edges caramelize. Remove from baking tray; cool slightly.
6. In sauté pan large enough to hold the cooling cauliflower, melt olive oil and butter until butter sizzles, add bread crumbs all at once and stir to toast evenly. 
7. Add cauliflower and toss to coat all.  Remove from heat, add grated cheese.  Toss and serve.
8. If fancying up the dish, add grated/minced hard-boiled egg and minced parsley.  That’s it.  It took me longer to write this than it will take you to incorporate this recipe into your repertoire.
9. Have fun with this.  Make it your own. 

Susan Delbert is the National Press Club executive chef. She oversees the Club's two restaurants, the Fourth Estate and the Reliable Source.