Cauliflower, Chestnut and Sage Cake

• medium cauliflower↗1

  (about 500 g of chopped weight), leaves trimmed and separated into florets

• olive oil↗1 tbsp tbsp
• butter↗25g g

  plus extra for greasing

• large onion↗1

  sliced

• large garlic cloves↗2

  chopped

• small pack of sage1

  half of the leaves gathered, largest left whole, rest finely chopped

• pack of cooked chestnuts180g g

  2/3 roughly chopped, rest halved

• '00' flour↗100g g
• polenta↗100g g
• baking powder↗2 ½ tsp tsp
• parmesan↗150g g

  (or vegetarian alternative), grated

• large eggs↗8

  beaten

• green salad↗

  for serving (optional)

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C/160 °C with convection/gas 4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets and boil for 10 minutes until they are tender but still hold their shape. Drain and let them steam to dry.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, cook for 8 minutes until soft and caramelised. Add the garlic, chopped sage leaves and chopped chestnuts, cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool slightly.

3. 3

   Grease and line the bottom of a 23 cm baking tin with parchment paper. In a large bowl combine the flour, polenta, baking powder and parmesan. Beat the eggs and add them to the dry ingredients to form a homogeneous batter, then gently fold in the cooked onion mixture and the cauliflower.

4. 4

   Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and scatter the remaining sage leaves and chestnuts on top. Bake for 40 minutes until golden‑brown. Serve warm as a main dish with a large green salad, if desired.