Roasted

Cauliflower that is. With bacon. And capers. So awesome. 

I'm a huge fan of the Tasting Table group, which is what led to the creation of this delicious recipe. Tasting Table puts out daily "news" on all sorts of things from restaurant reviews, recipes and food events in your area. They have editions for each major city, so check it out if you live near one.

A recipe was recently sent to my inbox that made me want to leave work immediately and get to a kitchen. This cauliflower recipe that I borrowed comes from a chef down in Charleston, South Carolina. By roasting the cauliflower in a cast iron skillet, in bacon fat, and then coating with a salty, caper-y sauce, you have the perfect veggie dish. I can't take any credit for coming up with this beauty, only slight modifications, but really wanted to share it with y'all. And if any of you are ever down in Charleston, head to Two Boroughs Larder. Looks like thebomb.com.

Roasted Cauliflower

1 head garlic (whole, 1/4 in trimmed from top)

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided

Freshly ground black pepper

4 strips bacon (preferably double-smoked)

1 large head cauliflower, quartered

¼ cup fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

¼ cup fish sauce

1 tablespoon salted capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 teaspoons finely chopped red Fresno chile (about 1 small chile)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap your whole garlic head, minus 1/4 inch of the top, in a foil packet. Drizzle in some olive oil and salt and close almost completely, with a little opening at the top. Pop into the oven for about 40 minutes.Remove and let cool. Squeeze the sweet garlic out and set aside.

Heat a large cast-iron pan over medium heat, add the bacon and cook until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes total. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate, crumble and set aside for the vinaigrette. Add the cauliflower quarters cut-side down to the bacon fat in the pan. Place the pan in the oven and cook until browned, about 50 minutes. Don't go in the and toss things around. Let one side crisp up.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, sugar and salt until the sugar and salt dissolve. Whisk in the roasted garlic and fish sauce. Whisking constantly, drizzle in the ¼ cup of the olive oil. Stir in the capers, parsley, crumbled bacon and chiles.

To serve, place the cauliflower quarters on a platter and pour the vinaigrette over the top.