Lemon Garlic Shrimp Over Roasted Cauliflower Mash
I stumbled across this recipe awhile back and was immediately intrigued by the roasted cauliflower mash. I had been serving mashed cauliflower, as an alternative to potatoes, for quite some time but had never thought of roasting the vegetable, rather than steaming, prior to pureeing.
It seemed so obvious once I read about the technique. I’m a huge fan of roasted vegetables and have said on numerous occasions that I think roasted cardboard would taste delicious. While mashed, steamed cauliflower is still very good; mashed, roasted cauliflower is beyond scrumptious.
This dish is easy enough to prepare on a weeknight, impressive enough to serve guests and interesting enough to create conversation. I am always trying new recipes but find myself coming back to this one often. I hope that’s endorsement enough.
And by the way, anything would taste good over this cauliflower mash–roasted pork tenderloin, broiled salmon, grilled steak, seared tuna–so roast and mash away!
Lemon Garlic Shrimp over Roasted Cauliflower Mash
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 pound raw shrimp, shelled and de-veined
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into large-ish florets
- 6-8 cloves garlic, peeled
- extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- butter, optional
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- half and half, cream, or broth, if needed to correct consistency, optional
- Marinated shrimp (from above)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 slices bacon (I leave out the bacon and replace with 1-2 Tbls olive oil)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup white wine, or bottled clam juice
- 1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
- pinch or two of dried oregano
- juice of one lemon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped (if I don't have oregano growing in my garden I skip or replace with parsley)
- First, combine the marinade ingredients for the shrimp.
- Put the shrimp and the marinade in a resealable bag, mix it up well so all the shrimp have some marinade on them, and refrigerate for 1-4 hours.
- Preheat an oven to 400F.
- Place the cauliflower and garlic in a shallow roasting pan. Toss with enough olive oil to coat the pan and the vegetables. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover loosely with foil, and roast for 15 minutes. Remove foil, and shake to mix up the vegetables for more even browning. Roast uncovered for 15-20 minutes, or until cauliflower and garlic are soft and lightly browned. Remove from oven.
- Using a food processor, puree the cauliflower with a couple tablespoons of butter (I omit the butter and just use a little of whichever optional liquid I have on hand). Add the Parmesan cheese and mix well. You want to end up with the cauliflower having the consistency of mashed potatoes or grits (fairly thick, not runny). Add a drizzle of cream or broth if the cauliflower is too dense. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Place in a heat-proof bowl and keep warm.
- In a large saute pan or Dutch oven, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels until cool, then chop into small pieces. Set aside. If not using bacon, skip this step--although I'm sure it would taste delicious.
- Add two tablespoons of butter to the bacon drippings in the pan, and heat until melted over medium high heat. If not using bacon, melt 1 Tbls butter with 1 Tbls olive oil in a saute pan. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano, and saute for about a minute, stirring frequently. Stir in wine or clam juice. Cook until liquid is reduced by half (will only take a few minutes), then add the shrimp. Cook, stirring frequently to turn the shrimp, until shrimp are pink and opaque on both sides. This should only take 3 or 4 minutes; do not overcook the shrimp or they will be rubbery! Stir in the lemon juice and remove from heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve the shrimp and sauce over the mashed cauliflower. Garnish with chopped bacon (optional) and fresh oregano or parsley.
