Insalata di Rinforzo

Recipe courtesy Nigella Lawson

Show: Food Network SpecialsEpisode: Nigella Bites Christmas Special

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (5)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(5)

Cook Time:
15 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
8 servings

Times:

Prep: 10 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 15 min
Total:: 25 min

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Ingredients

4 tablespoons coarse salt (recommended: Maldon)
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 3/4 cups white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
4 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
3 stalks celery, cut on a diagonal into 3/4-inch pieces
10 ounces pickling onions, peeled after soaking in hot water
2 yellow peppers, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch thick strips
2 red peppers, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch thick strips
1 fennel bulb, sliced
6 red chile peppers, left whole
7 ounces pitted olives (black, green, or a mixture)
2 tablespoons capers
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped

For dressing:

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

For preserving as a pickle:

1 bottle white wine vinegar
1 bottle olive oil (not extra-virgin)

Directions

Put 16 cups of water into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and the cauliflower florets and cook them until tender-crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the cauliflower florets with a slotted spoon and plunge them straight into a bowl of iced water.

Pour out half of the boiling water and add the white wine vinegar, remaining salt, fennel seeds, and garlic cloves. Bring the pan back to a boil and add the celery, onions, peppers, fennel, and whole chiles; cook for about 10 minutes until tender. Refresh the vegetables in the same way, plunging them into iced water; when they are cold, drain them along with the cauliflower florets.

In a large bowl, mix the cauliflower and other vegetables with the garlic, olives and capers. Whisk together the vinegar and oil for the dressing and pour over the salad. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the chopped parsley. Combine everything really well, which is easiest done using your hands. At this point you have a pickled vegetable salad which serves 8 generously, or you can stuff everything into wide-necked sterilized canning jars and pour in a mixture of half vinegar and half olive oil to cover the vegetables.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Insalata di Rinforzo
Rita Utica, NY 08-15-2009
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Excellent pickled salad--NOT easy
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I rated this a 5 for flavor and versatility. It goes well with almost any kind of meat or fish or just add a small wedge of... your favorite hard cheese and call it lunch! I grew up making these kinds of pickles with my family and knew when I started it would not be easy or quick. I double the recipe since it doesn't require any more liquid to cook the extra veggies and then the whole thing keeps in the fridge for at least 3 months, maybe longer, stored in large canning jars. All my children and husband come into the kitchen to help with this project. We have lots of fun and in about 2 hours we have enough delicious "insalata" to last a long time!Read more
recipe Insalata di Rinforzo
Anonymous 01-17-2007
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Sour and Smells!
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

I love Nigella Lawson, however, this was not her finest recipe. The whole dish took forever, and my house still smells of... vinegar. Flavorwise, I'm not impressed.Read more
recipe Insalata di Rinforzo
Anonymous 01-04-2007
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relish was a hit with those who know!
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

i served these veggies that i had preserved as a pickle to some folks who are foodies, canners & avid gardeners. they... raved--and these are the folks who grow so they know!Read more
recipe Insalata di Rinforzo
Sharon Gurnee, IL 12-25-2006
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Light and crispy veggies!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This makes a great side dish for any meal. I used about half the salt and felt the veggies still tasted great. As said... before, this recipe is labor intensive, but well worth it. The nice thing is that this recipe makes a large serving, so it lasts awhile. Be sure you have a large enough container for all of the veggies. The second time around, I added more garlic cloves, green beans and tindora (from the local latino market). Experiment and enjoy!Read more
recipe Insalata di Rinforzo
MARY ELLEN Chicago, IL 12-16-2006
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Good but more time consuming
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

I would/will make this again. I needed a veg dish and like how this looks, but to suggest that the prep time is short does a... great injustice to the Food Network staff. It took my 60-75 minutes total. I skipped the parsley, but uses some of the fronds of the fennel.Read more