Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as entrée
Ingredients
- 10 1/2-inch by 1/2-inch pieces each: white, orange, green and purple cauliflower (about 4.5 ounces each color broken in 1/2-inch pieces)
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon firmly packed pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch by 1/2-inch pieces, 1/16-inch thick
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons pecorino
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 3 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 quarts water
- 3 tablespoons salt
Method
- Place water in a large pot. Add 3 tablespoons salt and bring to a boil.
- Keeping each color separate, blanch cauliflower for about 30 seconds each, or until al dente. Remove and shock in ice water.
- Heat a 10-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and pancetta and cook until just crispy, about 90 seconds.
- Deglaze pan with 1 cup chicken stock. Add all cauliflower pieces to pan and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- Place egg yolks in a small bowl and slowly whisk in 3 tablespoons of hot chicken stock from the sauté pan to temper eggs.
- Place the cauliflower and remaining chicken stock back on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Slowly add the egg yolk/chicken stock mixture to cauliflower and cook until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to low and swirl in butter, cheese, black pepper and salt until emulsified.
Serve with freshly grated pecorino.
