Cauliflower with Almond Aillade

Preparation Put a large pot of water on to boil for the cauliflower while you make the aillade. Pound the garlic in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt, add the almonds and pound to a chunky paste, not entirely smooth. Stir in 1 tablespoon of water and then begin adding olive oil in a thin stream, like making mayonnaise. When half the oil is in, add another tablespoon of water if it’s getting very thick, then keep stirring in the remaining oil. Add the lemon juice or vinegar, chopped parsley, black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust with more lemon or salt and add a splash of water if it needs more flow. Add salt to the pot of boiling water and taste that it’s right. Add the cauliflower and cook until tender—about 5 minutes, but tasting a piece is the only way to really know. Stir a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water into the bowl of aillade to get it in the mood. Set aside a little more cooking water for possible adjustments, then drain the cauliflower and put it in a mixing bowl. Stir in the aillade. Taste and adjust for flavor with salt or lemon, and for texture with a splash of cooking water or oil. Variation Smash up a few anchovy fillets with the garlic and almonds. Cooks' NoteAillade is also a good dressing for boiled green beans, fennel, or asparagus, or spooned over grilled vegetables, fish, or chicken. From Almonds, Anchovies, and Pancetta: A Vegetarian Cookbook, Kind Of © 2018 by Cal Peternell. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow Cookbooks, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon.