Here’s a really simple recipe perfect as a centerpiece for your next family meal or get together with friends. The beauty of this recipe is there’s really not much to do and the results are absolutely fantastic.
Cauliflower can sometimes get a hard wrap. Often cooked to within an inch of its life, it can be a bit of a drab addition, floppy, pale and sad. Its really such a shame because the sweet, nutty, delicious favour is so easily lost completely. I guess there is always cauliflower cheese (and who doesnt love a good cauliflower cheese) but we’re here to make the case that there is a world of possibilities beyond that.
The best place to start is by roasting it! Roasted cauliflower is a completely diiferent thing all together. Beautifully caramelised edges highlight its unique flavour and bring a new lease of life to this glorious veg.
And then there is whole roasting it - allowing the outside to caramelise completely and the inside to cook slowly in its own flavour giving a totally unique result.
And then… there is whole roasting it, rubbed with a spiced tahini dressing, allowing the outside to caramelise completely in an amazing nutty, spicy marinade and the inside to cook slowly in its own flavour and then adding a handful of freshly cut mint and parsley, some fresh pomegranate seeds and another drizzle of that glorious tahini…. That is how we think you should try it next!!!!
The variety we grow on the farm is Skywalker… pretty apt as this recipe is bound to take you to a galaxy far far away!
Ingredients
1 medium to large head of cauliflower
4 Tbsp Tahini (If you can get a middle eastern tahini such as Al-Taj it makes a real difference but if not look for any light tahini)
2 Tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil
1 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves
1 lemon juiced
80 ml cold water
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1 bunch of mint
1 bunch of parsley
small handful of pomegranate arils
Method
Preheat your oven to 250 C.
Start by making the tahini dressing. First finely chop the garlic cloves and then add a pinch of salt and use the flat side of your knife to press down and scrape the garlic against the chopping board, bring the garlic back together into a small pile and repeat until you achieve a smooth paste. Next combine the tahini, garlic paste, lemon juice and rapeseed oil in a bowl and whisk. Gradually add the water until you have a consistency which is rich and creamy - a bit thicker than double cream. The mixture may appear like it is separating when you first start to combine but as you whisk it will come to form a nice smooth emulsified dressing. Some types of tahini can be thicker than others so you may need to adjust the amount of water accordingly. When you have achieved the desired consistency add the smoked paprika and cumin and season to taste.
Wash and trim the cauliflower and cut the base so that it sits flat on a baking tray lined with parchment or foil. Using half of the tahini dressing rub the cauliflower so that it is fully coated. Place into the oven and bake for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes - reducing the heat to 180 C after the first half an hour. The cauliflower should be a nice golden brown and soft enough to easily insert a skewer.
Finely chop the mint and parsley and scatter generously over the whole roasted cauliflower along with the pomegranate arils and another good drizzle of the remaining tahini dressing. Enjoy!