Green Curry Cauliflower
Ruby Felix-Curtis, executive chef at The Fox & Falcon, South Orange
STORY OF A DISH
Meet Chef Ruby Felix-Curtis Of The Fox & Falcon
At the time that Ruby Felix-Curtis began dating her now-husband, she was a self-described picky eater who had been raised— quite contentedly—on a diet of chicken and rice. On a dinner date, however, politeness forced her to ignore her limited flavor preferences and sample a Thai curry dish. For Felix- Curtis, the executive chef at the Fox & Falcon in South Orange, that proved to be the first of a series of life-changing meals that set her on the path to becoming a chef.
“When [my husband] introduced me to all these different cuisines, it just changed my mind,” Felix-Curtis says. “That’s how I fell in love with this industry—discovering all those flavors that are around me. That’s how I started with cooking.”
One of her favorite flavors is Thai green curry— an attention-grabbing combination of spicy, sweet and sour. This versatile sauce pairs equally well with chicken, shrimp, pork and seasonal vegetables. And Felix-Curtis prepares green curry year round as both a warming dish in winter and a dish that prepares the body to face the heat of a mid-summer day.
“It’s my husband’s favorite curry, and I’ve made variations of it throughout my entire culinary life,” Felix-Curtis says. “It’s one of those things where I researched how to cook it and then I perfected it.”
Begin the curry sauce by sautéing shallots, ginger, lemongrass and garlic until they become aromatic. Add the spices and peppers, and heat until they release their aroma—a process known as blooming. Keep smelling the ingredients as they cook to detect the moment when the spices become fragrant. Then, immediately add the coconut milk and other liquids so the spices don’t scorch. After cooking, purée the sauce in a blender to meld all of the flavors together.
Felix-Curtis pairs green curry sauce with thick slices of cauliflower to create a hearty vegan main dish. To start, cut a large cauliflower into four 2-inch-thick “steaks” that are flat on both sides. In her restaurant kitchen, Felix-Curtis adds the side trimmings from the cauliflower, as well as the stems and leaves, to the green curry sauce as it cooks. Along with reducing food waste, the cauliflower acts as a thickening agent for the sauce.
The cauliflower “steaks” are seasoned with salt and ground sumac, which adds a tart note to the dish, and then they are seared in turmeric-ginger oil to add another layer of flavor—one that reflects and amplifies the flavors in the curry sauce. Once a crust has formed, the slices are baked in the oven until tender.
At the Fox & Falcon, Felix-Curtis serves this dish by ladling the green curry sauce onto individual plates and topping each serving with a cauliflower steak. She then sprinkles on pomegranate arils to add a sweet, fresh pop of flavor, and crispy fried shallots to add texture. She finishes the dish with fresh cilantro for a final touch of flavor and color.
Felix-Curtis encourages us to keep an open mind when trying new cuisines and to step outside our comfort zones in order to experience new flavors. But she is not tied to tradition when making dishes such as green curry. She instead focuses on recreating that signature flavor profile using ingredients she has on hand. As an example, she notes that sumac and pomegranate aren’t traditional in Thai curry, but she uses them to bring in the citrusy notes typically supplied by ingredients such as lime zest and makrut lime leaves.
“When it comes to cooking, go with what you think is right for you,” she says “Don’t recreate the food to a T—create as to how it will work for you.” More important, she says, is to develop your ability to discern what you are tasting, and to learn to build and develop flavor in your cooking so that you become comfortable using familiar ingredients to recreate the flavor profiles of dishes you like.
“Some people are so intimidated [by] Thai food because of the fish sauce and the shrimp paste,” Felix-Curtis says. “Just work with what you have. For example, for fish sauce, use salt or soy sauce, whatever is available in your pantry. If it didn’t work, then try another ingredient. That’s my best advice. It’s just making it your own.”
THE FOX & FALCON
19 Valley St., South Orange
973.419.6773
thefoxandfalcon.com
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