Ginger beef and five spice roasted cauliflower

Thursday 19 May at 9:44am

It's not just the fashion that's on trend today - this recipe takes its inspiration from the High Street fashion Awards' floral theme.

In fact, it's ALL about flowers in the kitchen... CAULIFLOWERS that is. Ching is here with the hippest veg in town!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the cauliflower:

400g whole cauliflower1 tbsp olive oil or rapeseed oil1 pinch of sea salt1 pinch of ground white pepper1 tsp Chinese five spice powder

For the beef marinade:

1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated1 tbsp shaosing rice wine or dry sherry¼ -½ tsp Chinese five spice powder1 tbsp low sodium light soy sauce1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped400g sirloin, fat trimmed, sliced into 1 inch thick strips

For the sauce:

100g cold vegetable stock2 tbsp oyster sauce1 tsp low sodium light soy sauce

For the stir fry:

1 tsp rapeseed oil2 cloves garlic, finely chopped1 tbsp potato or cornflour1 tbsp rapeseed oil1 pinch of salt1 tsp dark soy sauce

Garnish:

1 red chilli, sliced on the angle

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4
For the cauliflower: Remove the outer leaves, wash, pat dry, and slice to 1-inch pieces, set aside to stir-fry with the beef. Remove the core, separate into equal sized florets, rinse, pat dry. Place the florets on a baking tray and drizzle over oil, season with salt, ground white pepper, and Chinese five spice, coating all the cauliflower pieces well. Pour in two tbsp of water in the bottom of the roasting tray; this will help them cook without drying out too much. Roast for 20 minutes.
For the beef marinade: Place the ginger, shaosing rice wine or dry sherry, Chinese five spice powder, soy sauce, and chilli in a bowl, mix well and add the beef strips leave to marinade for 15 minutes.
For the sauce: In a small jug, mix together the vegetable stock, oyster sauce and light soy sauce, set aside.
If serving with rice, cook the rice now
Once the cauliflower florets have cooked, turn off the oven, keep them warm uncovered
For the stir fry: Heat a wok over high heat; add 1tsp of rapeseed oil. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add the cauliflower leaf pieces, toss cooking for 30 seconds until wilted. Season with a pinch of salt. Spoon out onto a plate, set aside.
Reheat the wok
Add 1tbsp potato flour or cornflour over the marinade beef; give it one light toss, no need to mix thoroughly. Add 1tbsp of rapeseed oil to the reheated wok; add the marinaded beef, cooking colouring the edges of the meat in the wok for 30 seconds.
Pour in the reserved sauce ingredients. Bring the sauce to the bubble cooking for 30 seconds, once the sauce has thickened and is shiny, add 1tsp of dark soy sauce. Toss in the cauliflower leaf pieces and stir once. Spoon out onto the centre of a large sharing serving plate.
Remove the cauliflower from the oven, decorate the sides of the plate with the cauliflower. Garnish with red chilli, and serve on its own, or with steamed rice.