Day 156: the new and comforting
For me, this banishes any of the myths and misconceptions that only the familiar can be comforting. Whether it's that unique and unrivalled headnote tone from Nigella, that instantly sells you anything, or the warming tiger-orange and jungle-green colour palette, this one hit every spot and had me happily and greedily tucking into double portions of it on the sofa with a movie.
I am not one to get excited about cauliflower - unless it’s sitting snugly in a thick, mustardy cheese sauce - but Jonathan Lovekin captures this so beautifully in Cook Eat Repeat that even a roast-cauliflower sceptic, such as myself, couldn’t resist. I’ve had this planned for some time, since making Nigella’s One-Pan Chicken with Apricot Harissa and Sweet Potatoes (Day 123), in fact, using the remaining apricot harissa I had left from that. To be honest, a spoonful of it here and there has made its way into quite a few dinners over the past month; adding instant flavour to soups, sauces and even a bland tin of macaroni cheese. It’s like the ingredient that’s been missing from my life in all my cooking years. I confess I kept this in the fridge, in a jar, for a lot longer than two weeks - re-covering with a drizzle of oil after each use. I am not suggesting you do the same, or that it’s 100% safe to do so, I’m just saying. Anyway, I finally used the last of it up for dinner yesterday in Nigella’s Roast Cauliflower with Apricot Harissa and Spinach.
Nigella’s Roast Cauliflower with Apricot Harissa and Spinach
If you’ve already made the harissa ahead of time, there is absolutely nothing time consuming or fiddly about this recipe. I let the cauliflower steep for about one hour, by which time it had softened slightly and seemed a little juicier. As much as I hate admitting a dislike for food, I really don’t like raw cauliflower. However, after it had softened in that harissa and orange marinade, I had a cheeky taste, and I could have quite happily snacked on it just like that! I could never put into words, without an uncapped word and time limit, just how happy it makes me realise a love for things I spent years avoiding; things that, for whatever reason, my set-in-stone stubbornness refused to give a chance.
Simply for personal preference, I added a little extra harissa and I probably doubled the number of dried apricots I used; I’ve become a huge lover of savoury foods studded with the sweet-sourness of these soft, amber gems.
Flavour musings
New and exciting eating sensations; yet something so wonderfully familiar about the comfort you get from each mouthful. And I’m still swooning over that tiger-orange and jungle-green colour palette.
The recipe for this can be found in Cook Eat Repeat, and - if you have access to past issues - I believe it was also published in The Guardian’s Feast in October 2020.
