Cream of roasted cauliflower with white Kampot pepper, caramelized cauliflower, blanched asparagus, and smoked almonds

Ingredients

• 500 g cauliflower
• 100 g white asparagus
• 100 g green asparagus
• 2 white onions
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1 l whole milk
• 125 g butter
• 50 g smoked almonds
• 30 ml olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 allspice berries
• 1 g crushed cumin
• white Kampot pepper
• nutmeg
• salt

Procedure

1. Roast the cauliflower in the oven until brown at 180 °C for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Then slice it thinly. Peel the white onion and garlic and also slice them thinly.

2. In a larger pot, heat olive oil with 50 g butter and add the sliced onion and cauliflower, sauté for a few minutes and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the garlic, briefly sauté, and pour everything with whole milk.

3. Add bay leaves, allspice, crushed cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook completely until soft, 30 minutes to one hour. Then blend the soup thoroughly together with 50 g butter into a smooth cream. Strain through a fine sieve and season with salt, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg.

4. Divide raw cauliflower into florets, cut in half, and fry until golden in a heated pan with a little rapeseed oil. Add butter and season with salt and pepper. Finish baking in the oven at 150 °C–180 °C for about 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Peel green and white asparagus with a peeler, cut off the woody ends, and cut in half. Blanch in salted boiling water for about 2–3 minutes, then immediately cool in ice water. Before serving, mix with melted butter, season with salt and pepper. Serve the soup with smoked almonds.

Enjoy your meal!

Author: Ladislav Floreán