Autumn is really hitting here in the UK – my fluffy slippers are out, tees swapped for chunky knit jumpers and wholesome comfort food is back on the menu. If you’re feeling the chill, why not try this hearty and aromatic dish from Anna Jones to warm you from the inside out.
"I make this because I love it. It’s quick and can be eaten from the bowl. Our weeknight dinners, and even dishes on restaurant menus, have more and more become a collection of elements eaten from a bowl. Great for supper on the sofa." - Anna Jones.
Ingredients (serves 4)
For the chutney -
a large bunch of coriander
2 green chillies
a few sprigs of mint
juice of 1 lime
50g coconut cream
1/2 teaspoon runny honey
1 tablespoon groundnut or mild olive oil
800g–1kg cauliflower
coconut oil
6 spring onions, peeled and finely sliced
a thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 head of chard or other
winter greens, stalks finely sliced, leaves roughly shredded
1 lemon
50g coconut cream
4 organic eggs
1 tablespoon nigella seeds
100g roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
Method
First, make your chutney. Put half the coriander (reserving the rest for later) into a food processor with all the other ingredients and blitz until grassy green and smooth, adding a little water as you go if it looks too dry. You are looking for a spoonable consistency, a little thinner than a pesto.
Take the leaves and gnarly root off your cauliflower and chop it into big pieces, using the stalks too. Put them into the food processor and pulse until you have a rice-like texture. You could also use the coarse side of a box grater.
Put your largest frying pan on a high heat (if you don’t have a nice big one, two smaller ones will work). Add a large knob of coconut oil along with the spring onions. Cook for 5 minutes, until soft, stirring from time to time.
Meanwhile, grate the ginger and finely chop the stalks of the remaining coriander, keeping the leaves for later. Once the spring onion is soft, add the ginger and turmeric and cook for a couple of minutes, then season well with salt.
Turn the heat right up. Add the cauliflower rice and cook, stirring every couple of minutes to make sure all the rice gets a little browned on the bottom of the pan; this will take about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat another pan on a medium heat and add a teaspoon of coconut oil. Add the shredded greens, a little splash of water, a tiny squeeze of lemon juice and a good pinch of salt. Once the water has evaporated and the greens are wilted, take the pan off the heat and cover to keep warm. Once the edges of the cauliflower rice have nicely browned, squeeze over the rest of the lemon juice and grate in the coconut cream. Cook until it has all been absorbed by the rice and there is a slightly caramelly smell. Push the rice to one side of the pan and spoon the greens into the other.
Put the pan that had the greens in back on the heat and add another teaspoon of coconut oil, then crack in the eggs and cook on a medium to high heat until the edges are crispy and the yolks are just cooked. Sprinkle the eggs with the nigella seeds and take off the heat.
Serve the cauliflower rice in bowls, topped with the greens, chutney, peanuts, crispy eggs and with the rest of the coriander leaves for sprinkling over the top.
Recipe kindly shared from Anna's book, The Modern Cook's Year. Photographer: Ana Cuba, Publishers: 4th Estate.
