When planning party menus, you should never forget the dishes that revolve around the main one, no matter how much this is the star. Salads are very practical due to their versatility: they serve the same as a starter or first, they can be garnished with something lighter than mashed potatoes. This insalata di rinforzo, of Neapolitan origin, Dress up the humble cauliflower in luxury creating an explosion of flavors in every bite.
We read that the curious origin of the name, “booster salad”, is not entirely clear, although we like all the possible explanations. It is one of those dishes of family tradition that each house prepares a little in its own way, and it is very typical on Christmas Eve in Naples. One explanation could point to the fact that the base of the salad is “reinforced” in the days following its preparation by adding different ingredients until New Year’s Eve.
It is also said that the name would simply refer to the fact that the salad, well complete, should “reinforce” the traditional Neapolitan Christmas Eve dinner, based on fish and with little fat, or perhaps it highlights the presence of vinegar. Be that as it may, it is a festival of flavors and textures for those who we love pickles and the good preserves. And you have to like cauliflower, of course.
The recipe that we have followed indicates to cook the cauliflower al dente, but we have preferred to roast it in the oven because it reduces its odors and is much tastier. We also take the opportunity to roast the peppers, since it is difficult to find the traditional ones in Spain papaccelle Italians. It is important crisp cauliflower and use the best preserves we can afford. The amounts indicated for each ingredient are indicative; adjust them to your liking.
Separate the cauliflower into florets of similar sizes, as explained here, wash and rinse. Blanch in plenty of salty water for a few minutes to leave it still crisp, cooling it quickly in a container over ice, or roasting it in the oven at about 200ºC; It can also be used to roast the peppers if we have them raw.
Set up the rest of the ingredients separately: remove the pit from the olives if they were not pitted, cut the gherkins into sticks and the peeled peppers into strips. Arrange the cauliflower in a salad bowl or platter, lightly dress with vinegar and olive oil and add all the other ingredients.
Mix to taste and season with a little more of vinegar and olive oil if desired; It should not be necessary to add more salt that the anchovies and pickles already have. Bring to the table or cover and store in the refrigerator, taking it out for a while before serving so that it loses the cold a bit.
With what to accompany the Neapolitan cauliflower salad
To be true to the Neapolitan tradition, we can serve this cauliflower and anchovy salad as prelude or garnish of a main fish-based holiday. Good options that do not fail are the sea bass with salt, the Dani García-style turbot or the stuffed baked hake.
More Christmas recipes
Directly to the Palate we love these parties and we have thousands of recipes for you to be sure in your Christmas meals.
Don’t miss our special with the 215 best Christmas recipes and 16 special menus. And if you need ideas for specific dishes, here is a good starting point:
Directly to the Palate | The 215 best Christmas recipes and 16 special menus to get it right for sure
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