Insalata di Rinforzo

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large pot for blanching
• •Clean kitchen towels for drying cauliflower
• •Large serving bowl, preferably ceramic or glass

Instructions

1. 1

   Blanch the cauliflower

   Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets and cook until tender but not soft, 4 to 5 minutes. The florets must retain their shape and offer slight resistance when pierced with a knife. Drain immediately and spread on a clean kitchen towel to cool completely. The cauliflower must be dry. Wet cauliflower will dilute the dressing and turn the salad watery within hours.

   Test one floret after 4 minutes. Overcooked cauliflower crumbles and ruins the salad. You want firmness that will hold up through days of marinating.
2. 2

   Prepare the capers

   If using salt-packed capers, soak them in cool water for 20 minutes, changing the water twice. Drain and pat dry. Salt-packed capers have superior flavor and texture to those swimming in brine. The soaking removes excess salt while preserving their intense, floral quality.

3. 3

   Combine the salad

   In a large serving bowl, combine the cooled cauliflower, olives, prepared capers, sliced pickled peppers, and giardiniera. If using anchovies, tear them into pieces and scatter throughout. The anchovies are traditional but optional. Toss gently to distribute everything evenly.

4. 4

   Dress the salad

   Drizzle the olive oil and vinegar over the salad. Season with salt (sparingly, as the capers and olives contribute salt) and freshly ground black pepper. Toss again, gently, using your hands if necessary to coat every floret without breaking them.

   Taste before adding salt. The capers, olives, anchovies, and pickled vegetables all bring salt. You may need none at all.
5. 5

   Rest before serving

   Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. The salad improves as the flavors meld. Before serving, taste and adjust the vinegar and oil. The cauliflower will have absorbed some dressing. Add more oil if it seems dry. Bring to cool room temperature for the best flavor.

6. 6

   Reinforce as tradition demands

   As you eat the salad over the following days, add more cauliflower, olives, and peppers to replenish it. Dress the additions lightly before folding them in. This is the rinforzo, the reinforcement that gives the salad its name. A properly maintained insalata di rinforzo can last through the Feast of the Epiphany.

Chef Tips

• •Gaeta olives, small and purple-black with a mild, fruity flavor, are traditional. Kalamata olives work but will shift the flavor toward something more Greek than Neapolitan. Whatever you use, leave them unpitted. Pitted olives lose their texture and weep into the dressing.
• •Papaccelle, the small pickled sweet peppers of Campania, can be difficult to find outside Italy. Substitute any good-quality pickled sweet pepper, avoiding the overly vinegary varieties in supermarket jars. Italian delicatessens often carry proper ones.
• •The anchovies are optional but add depth that salt alone cannot provide. If you include them, use good ones packed in olive oil, never the harsh, overly salty fillets from a tin.
• •Do not dress the salad heavily at first. The vegetables release liquid as they sit, and you will add more dressing when you reinforce. A light hand now prevents a pool of oil later.

Advance Preparation

• •The salad should be made at least 2 hours ahead but improves overnight. The flavors meld as it sits.
• •Kept covered in the refrigerator and reinforced with fresh ingredients, the salad remains excellent for 5 to 7 days.
• •Bring to cool room temperature 30 minutes before serving for the best flavor. Cold dulls the olive oil.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 175g)