Curry - Scented Roasted Cauliflower

Chef Emeril Lagasse is the chef/proprietor of 12 restaurants in locations including New Orleans, Las Vegas, Orlando and Miami. Lagasse has hosted over 2,000 shows on the Food Network, and his latest TV program, Fresh Food Fast, can be seen on the Cooking Channel. Lagasse is also the best-selling author of 15 cookbooks including his latest, Farm to Fork: Cooking Local, Cooking Fresh.

Ingredients:
Serves 4-6
• 2 small heads cauliflower (3 to 3 1/2 pounds total), cored and cut into medium florets
• 6 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter, melted (see Notes)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala (see Notes)

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place the cauliflower in a large mixing bowl.

3. In a smaller mixing bowl, combine the ghee and all the remaining ingredients. Stir to blend well, and then pour the spice mixture over the cauliflower. Toss until the cauliflower is thoroughly coated with the ghee and spices.

4. Transfer the cauliflower to a large rimmed baking sheet, and roast until it is caramelized around the edges and crisp-tender, 18 to 20 minutes, stirring it once midway through cooking. Serve hot.

Notes:
- Ghee is butter that has been slowly melted until the solids and liquid separate. The solids fall to the bottom and the butter is cooked until the milk solids are browned and the moisture evaporates, resulting in a nutty, caramel-like flavor. This last step is what defines ghee from regular clarified butter. Ghee is used primarily in Indian cooking, but is wonderful for any high-heat cooking preparation since it has a higher smoke point than butter. You can find it in many Middle Eastern markets or you can easily make your own at home.

– Garam masala is a blend of ground Indian spices that comes in many variations, but can include black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, cardamom, dried chiles, fennel, mace, nutmeg, and other spices. Garam means “warm” or “hot” in Indian. Today it is easy to find commercially bottled garam masala in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.

This Side recipe was published in 'Martha Stewart Living Radio Thanks giving Hotline Recipes 2010 - p40'.