Insalata di Rinforzo

Name: Insalata di Rinforzo
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; 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar; 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil; Salt and pepper; 1 bottle white wine vinegar; 1 bottle olive oil (not extra-virgin)

19 ingredients

11 steps

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
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 bottle white wine vinegar
1 bottle olive oil (not extra-virgin)

Directions

1

Put 16 cups of water into a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
2

Add 2 tablespoons of salt and the cauliflower florets and cook them until tender-crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes.
3

Remove the cauliflower florets with a slotted spoon and plunge them straight into a bowl of iced water.
4

Pour out half of the boiling water and add the white wine vinegar, remaining salt, fennel seeds, and garlic cloves.
5

Bring the pan back to a boil and add the celery, onions, peppers, fennel, and whole chiles; cook for about 10 minutes until tender.
6

Refresh the vegetables in the same way, plunging them into iced water; when they are cold, drain them along with the cauliflower florets.
7

In a large bowl, mix the cauliflower and other vegetables with the garlic, olives and capers.
8

Whisk together the vinegar and oil for the dressing and pour over the salad.
9

Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the chopped parsley.
10

Combine everything really well, which is easiest done using your hands.
11

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.