For company
Roasted whole cauliflower — the MasterChef way
Charred at the tips, tender in the middle, dressed with tahini yoghurt, toasted almonds and pomegranate. A whole cauliflower at the centre of the table is a quiet showstopper.
I adore cauliflower. I was vegetarian at one point — weren't we all, ladies, be honest — and when I moved to the UK during foot-and-mouth I was simply not eating questionable beef or meat of any kind. To this day, this is my favourite way to eat cauliflower. I don't have one definitive recipe; I've watched countless variations on MasterChef Australia and they all sing. This is the version I land on most often. I could eat it as a main meal, easily.
Method
- 01
Heat the oven to 200°C fan / 220°C conventional. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil.
- 02
Lower the whole cauliflower into the boiling water and blanch for 8–10 minutes, until a knife slides into the stem with just a little resistance. This is the secret — it cooks the centre evenly so the outside can take real heat without burning before it's done. Lift out carefully and let it steam-dry on a rack for 10 minutes.
- 03
Mix the olive oil, melted butter, cumin, paprika, coriander, turmeric, salt and pepper into a loose paste. Sit the cauliflower in a cast-iron pan or lined oven tray and slather it all over — get into every crevice with your hands. Don't be shy with the spiced oil.
- 04
Roast for 35–45 minutes, basting once or twice with the pan juices, until deeply golden, blistered at the tips, and tender all the way through when pierced with a skewer. The colour is the flavour — let it really go.
- 05
While it roasts, whisk the yoghurt, tahini, garlic, lemon juice and salt with a splash of cold water until silky and spoonable. Toast the almonds in a dry pan until golden.
- 06
Smear the tahini yoghurt across a warm platter. Set the whole roasted cauliflower on top. Squeeze over the roasted lemon halves, scatter with almonds, pomegranate, all the herbs, a dusting of sumac and a final drizzle of good olive oil and salt flakes.
- 07
Carry it to the table whole. Pull it apart with two spoons in front of everyone — it should fall into soft, spiced wedges. Eat slowly, with bread to mop up the yoghurt.
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