Roasted Romanesco with Garlic, Hazelnuts, Chilli and Raisins

Romanesco is a part of the same family as cauliflower and broccoli - indeed you could use either of those as a substitute in this recipe, if you like. However, if you can get hold of it, I firmly recommend you try it out as it's not only pretty to look at but the flavour is nutty and almost sweet when you roast it.

In this recipe, I went with the classic combination of garlic, chilli and lemon and then jazzed it up with hazelnuts for crunch and to pick up on the nuttiness of the romanesco as well as a few raisins for pops of juicy sweetness. I served mine with some grilled seabass, the crisped up leaves of the romanesco and some roast potatoes but you can be as adventurous as you like! 

Roasted Romanesco with Garlic, Hazelnuts, Chilli and Raisins

Serves 2 as a side

oil (I use rapeseed)
1 small head of romanesco, broken into florets
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
2-3 tbsp hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1 tbsp raisins

1 lemon, juice only
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Put the romanesco florets in a baking tray with a good drizzle of oil and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.

When the romanesco is almost cooked, heat a tablespoon of oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and chilli and cook until just starting to sizzle but not brown. Add the hazelnuts, raisins and the juice of the lemon and take off the heat. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Transfer the roasted romanesco to a serving dish, then pour over the hazelnut mixture and serve!