A recipe for Vadouvon/Vadovon

[shallots]

I don't have a clue as to how it should be spelled.
On Top Chef, the San Francisco chef mentioned her ingredient brought from home was Vaduvon.
I live in the hinterland and had never heard of it.
So...google turned up the recipe linked below, just in case someone else is wondering how to make a great carrot purree.

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/vadouvan...

[potato or yam]

Finally got around to making the vadouvan recipe from Gourmet. I actually had to make it twice because I let it get too dark the first time. I've been throwing it in a bunch of stuff, eggs, on top of cauliflower soup, in braised meat. It's been great to have around because it gives uncomplicated dishes a lot of depth of flavor.

Just two notes about the recipe. It lists curry leaves as an optional ingredient so I made the first batch without them. When I made the second batch I went out and bought some leaves and they made a huge difference in the final flavor.

The recipe says to cook until barely moist which I tried to do the first time and ended up burning all of the onions on the outer edges of the pan. The second time I cooked it to color (dark golden brown) and got great results even though the mixture was still on the moist side.

[oakjoan]

This is a bit off topic, but I notice several mentions of the recipe being in Gourmet. Since it's now gone out of business, has anyone heard whether Epicurious still be available?

[potato or yam]

Here is the Epicurious link. Conde Nast has said that they are leaving all of the content from Gourmet on Epicurious for now.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[maria lorraine]

Thank you for this, and Channa for the links to the recipes. There's a restaurant in Napa Valley -- Ubuntu -- that makes Caulilflower Three Ways in a Cast-Iron Pot , and the vaduvan in the dish adds an indescribable difference!

[Miss Needle]

Here's the link for Ubuntu's cauliflower recipe. I haven't tried the recipe yet but I absolutely adore that dish from the restaurant!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27183606/

[maria lorraine]

Miss Needle, hello,

I'd already duplicated the recipe, using the Vadouvan link above and another I found at Jane's Spice:
http://www.janespice.com/recipes/vado...

The Ubuntu recipe from the MSNBC site doesn't seem accurate. For one, the assembly isn't specified until the "Tips" part at the end. But even the Tips assembly leaves out the raw cauliflower garnish on top that's in the text of the recipe. A touch of flour (that combines with the butter) also appears to be left out of the recipe, since the dish has a creaminess from a bechemel-type cauliflower sauce, with the consistency of a custard, that's not just cauliflower puree. (I know, I make it all the time.) Also, the dish at the restaurant appears to be made with cream, or 1/2-and-1/2, and not milk. And I don't know what got into Ubuntu over that photo. It looks nothing like the dish in the restaurant. There are no large raw chunks of cauliflower on top of the dish as in the photo, nor would the chef or consumer want that. The raw cauliflower garnish at the restaurant is a fine crumb. Finally, in the photo, there is a reflective pool of liquid on the top of the dish, and there is nothing like that in the dish at the restaurant. It's creamy white goodness all the way -- roasted cauliflower slathered in a custard-y cauliflower puree flavored with vadouvan, then topped with tiny shavings of raw cauliflower and bits of vadouvan.

[Miss Needle]

Hmmm, you seem to be correct, maria lorraine. I didn't scrutinize the recipe very carefully -- just bookmarked it. The dish is really rich. I don't think milk would cut it at all. And there is a luscious custard which the recipe seems to be missing. Oh well. Maybe I'll try it using the modifications you have made. Wish I can get something like that in NYC. Napa Valley is awfully far away.

[Pastrybag]

Here's the website with the accurate recipe http://cookeatshare.com/recipes/cauli...

[maria lorraine]

Yes, I've used that recipe and it works well. I substitute French Fried Onions mixed with the spices used in Vaduvan and actually prefer that. I also slice the cauliflower used for roasting a bit thicken than 1/8" inch -- more like double that. It's a wonderful appetizer with oblong bagette slices toasted or grilled.

[Pastrybag]

Here's the recipe for the Cauliflower three ways in a Cast iron pot
http://cookeatshare.com/recipes/cauli...

[The Old Gal]

Thanks to you both for introducing an entirely new idea.
Stopped my subscription to Gourmet many years ago but I am beginning to think I need to start it again. They really have improved.

[Channa]

Gourmet had an article a few months ago. It sounds very tasty, doesn't it. Here's the background:
http://www.gourmet.com/food/2008/08/the-recipe-fricassee-hen-with-vadouvan

and two recipes to use it:
http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2008/09/fricassee
http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/...