so this one was a little weird…. i replaced potato with cauliflower in my potato salad.
potato salad aint for everyone eh, cause lets face it, cold potato is a bit weird. but replacing it with cauliflower added a whole new dimension.
par-boiled cauliflower adds a freshness and a crunchy texture to the dish. and yea, i would do it again! would be a good bbq or pot luck dish.
i make my own pickles and mayo which means i can keep it clean by controlling what goes into them. thats how i like it….. (but use store bought if you want!)
i served this with scotch fillet – but the options are endless.
serves 4
for the salad
1 cauliflower, cut into same sized florets
2 cups fresh basil leaves
200gm streaky bacon, cooked to crispy and brown and sliced into small strips.
1 cucumber, cut into small squares (0.5cm sides) – for the pickle, recipe below
1 red capsicum, chopped into small squares
5 spring onion stalks (scallions), finely sliced
for the pickles
1 cucumber (from salad ingredients above)
6 tblsp rice wine vinegar (or white)
2 tblsp coconut sugar
1.5 tsp salt
2 tsp chilli flakes (optional – i like a bit of heat!)
1 cup water
for the dressing
2 egg yolks
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp rice wine vinegar (or white)
1.5c rapeseed oil (or canola, or avocado… anything that has a light or no taste)
2 tblsp whole grain mustard
pinch salt
for the salad
prep the cauliflower first. put the florets in a sauce pan with some salt, and bring to boil. cook until the cauliflower has slightly changed colour and slightly softened. you still want a bit of crunch – dont overcook them!
remove from the water and set aside to cool to room temperature. once cooled to room temperature, transfer to the fridge. cooling them down will ensure you can safely add the dressing when ready to serve.
for the pickles
put the vinegar, coconut sugar and salt in a sauce pan with the water. bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar.
add the cucumber squares into the pickling liquid and set aside.
once cooled to room temperature, place in the fridge.
for the dressing
add the yolks, dijon mustard, vinegar and salt into the bottom of a bowl. whisk to combine.
using a kenwood stick whisk, or hand whisk, start whisking while slowly pouring in the oil. this needs to be done methodically so as not to split the eggs. its pretty easy when you get the hang of it. promise 🙂
when the mixture has come together and thickened, add the whole grain mustard. taste and season if necessary.
set aside in the fridge.
to assemble
drain the pickles.
add the spring onion, red capsicum, cucumber and bacon to the cauliflower and mix. add the dressing and toss to coat well.
add most of the basil and toss.
place on serving plate/s and top with the remaining basil.
