Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Harissa glazed, over tahini beans, vegan, 1 hr, serves 4
Ingredients
The cauliflower cauliflower 1 large, whole harissa 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp maple syrup 1 tbsp ground turmeric 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp The tahini beans cannellini beans 1 tin, drained tahini 3 tbsp lemon 1, juiced garlic 1 clove olive oil 2 tbsp salt to season To finish pistachios handful, chopped mint handful, chopped
Rose harissa if you can get it, it is fruitier and less fierce.
Maple syrup keeps it vegan. Honey if you are not fussed.
Boiling the whole head first is what gets the middle tender, so the outside can char without the core staying raw.
Recipe
1. Trim the leaves and level the base so it sits flat, keeping the core intact so it holds together. Boil the whole head, top down, in well salted water for 12 minutes, until a knife slides into the stalk with a little resistance. Drain upside down for 10 minutes.
A little resistance, not soft. Boiled to collapse and it falls apart in the oven, underdone and the middle is raw once the outside is charred.
2. Heat the oven to 200°C. Mix the glaze:
[harissa 2 tbsp, olive oil 2 tbsp, maple syrup 1 tbsp, ground turmeric 1/2 tsp, salt 1 tsp]
3. Sit the cauliflower in the cast iron pan or a small tray. Brush the glaze all over, working it into every crevice.
4. Roast 35 to 45 minutes, brushing with any leftover glaze once halfway, until deep red and charred at the tips.
5. Meanwhile blitz the beans smooth, loosening with cold water a spoonful at a time until it is soft and spoonable:
[cannellini beans 1 tin, tahini 3 tbsp, lemon 1 juiced, garlic 1 clove, olive oil 2 tbsp, salt to season]
6. Spread the beans on a plate. Sit the cauliflower on top, scatter the pistachios and mint, and spoon over any glaze from the pan. Cut into wedges at the table.
Both the beans and the boil can be done ahead, so only the roast is left for the day.
Sources: Nora Cooks, Home Cooking Collective.