There are just some vegetables that make your jaw drop and your heart stop in its beauty.

Don’t believe me?

I hereby introduce you to the Romanesco broccoli, a cross between a broccoli and a cauliflower and sometimes called a broccoflower. Stemming from the same family as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and cabbage, there has been a recent surge in its popularity with the masses.

Firstly documented in Italy, it is widely believed that it is a cultivation from Italian farmers in the 16th century.

The beautiful spirals of each stem reminds me somewhat of the top of Buddha’s head!

Here is The Boy’s next conception of his Playground Series, dedicated to the humble Romanesco.

Elements on the Plate:

Romanesco Broccoli (Romanesque cauliflower) – place in boiling water & cook until tender.

Slow Roasted Leek – slow roast in oven until soft and tender. Peel outer layers & trim ends once cooked.

Beurre Monte – in a small saucepan, bring 1 tablespoon of water to a boil (high heat). Reduce to low heat and start adding chunks of butter a little at a time (4 tablespoons of butter in total) whisking to emulsify.

Baby Cabbage Leaves – poached in Beurre Monte for a few seconds or until tender.

Baby King Oyster Mushrooms – poached in Beurre Monte for a few seconds or until cooked.

Black Olive Soil

Garnish with Borage Flowers & Micro Red Amaranth and spoon Beurre Monte over vegetables & mushrooms.

The art of eating and serving beautiful vegetables is to keep it simple and I feel that The Boy has portrayed that brilliantly in this dish.

Have you come across Romanesco before? How was it served?