As part of my weekly contribution to the sustainable-food-focused newsletter Cool Beans, I ask chefs, cookbook authors, and other food folk what plant-based dish they make on repeat. This week, I talked to the wonderful Mexico City-born Barbara Sibley, whose restaurant La Palapa has been dishing up authentic Mexican fare on St. Mark's Place for almost 25 years.
She described a dish that's based on the classic Shrimp a la Diabla but swaps in cauliflower for the crustaceans. I was blown away—the cauliflower, blanched briefly in salted water and sliced, ends up a very similar shape and texture to shrimp, and was a great vehicle for the sauce, which was delicious and surprisingly simple to make.
What follows is the cauliflower version of the dish based on the recipe for Shrimp a la Diabla from "Antojitos: Festive and Flavorful Mexican Small Plates," by Barbara Sibley and Margaritte Malfy.
1 head of cauliflower, cut into large florets
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 dried ancho chilies, reconstituted in hot water, seeded, and cut into half-inch rounds
3 dried passilla chilies, reconstituted in hot water, seeded and cut into half-inch rounds
Freshly ground black pepper
Blanch the cauliflower in boiling salted water for three minutes. Drain and run it under cold water.
Cut the florets lenthwise into 1/4-inch slices.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender but not browned.
Add the chiles, and raise the heat to high. When the pan is hot, add the cauliflower, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring and shaking the pan to ensure even cooking, for 3 to 4 minutes, turning the pieces of cauliflower over a couple of times to coat in the sauce. Remove from the heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cauliflower to a plate or shallow bowl, leaving as much pan sauce as possible in the skillet.
Return the skillet to medium heat. Stir in the wine, and simmer for about 30 seconds, then return cauliflower to the skillet. Raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil. As soon as the liquid boils, remove the skillet from the heat.
Divide the shrimp and pan juices evenly among dishes. Serve piping hot with tortillas on the side.
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