Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Name: Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: 1 large cauliflower, about 1.2 kg (2⅔ lb), with some leaves; fine sea salt, 15 g per liter for the water, plus 3 g (½ tsp); 40 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp smoked or sweet paprika; ½ tsp ground coriander; 120 ml (½ cup) tahini sauce, Tahini Sauce (5 minutes; make it while the cauliflower roasts); 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds, optional; 10 g (⅓ cup) parsley or mint, chopped; 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Spiced, buttery and browned, with tahini and herbs

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 15 min
Total: 1 h 10 min
Level: Easy

A whole cauliflower, briefly simmered then roasted until mahogany and tender to the core, makes an impressive centerpiece for very little effort. A spiced butter-and-oil baste gives it color and flavor; tahini sauce, pomegranate and herbs finish it.

Ingredients

1large cauliflowerabout 1.2 kg (2⅔ lb), with some leaves
fine sea salt15 g per liter for the water, plus 3 g (½ tsp)
40 gunsalted butter (3 tbsp)melted
2 tbspolive oil
1 tspground cumin
1 tspsmoked or sweet paprika
½ tspground coriander
120 mltahini sauce (½ cup)Tahini Sauce (5 minutes; make it while the cauliflower roasts)
3 tbsppomegranate seedsoptional
10 gparsley or mint (⅓ cup)chopped
1lemoncut into wedges

Diet: Vegetarian, Gluten-free
Allergens: milk, sesame
Season: Autumn, Winter, Spring

Method

Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Trim the cauliflower stem flat so it sits upright, keeping the small inner leaves.
Bring a pot large enough to hold the cauliflower to a boil, salted at 15 g per liter. Lower in the cauliflower, head down, and simmer 6–8 minutes, until a knife meets resistance only at the core. 7 min
Lift out and drain upside down in a colander for 5 minutes to steam dry. 5 min
Mix the butter, oil, spices and 3 g salt. Set the cauliflower upright in an ovenproof pan or small roasting dish and brush the spiced fat all over.
Roast, basting with the pan juices twice, until deeply browned and a knife slides easily into the core, 40–50 minutes. 45 min
Spoon tahini sauce over the top, scatter with pomegranate and herbs, and serve in wedges with lemon.

Why it works

A whole cauliflower is too dense to roast through before the outside burns; a short simmer in well-salted water seasons it and cooks the core partway. Steam drying lets the surface brown instead of steaming in the oven. Spices bloom in the hot fat, and the milk solids in butter add extra browning and nutty flavor.

Common mistakes

Skipping the parboil: the outside chars while the core stays raw.
Not drying it: a wet surface won't brown.
Underseasoning: a whole vegetable needs salt in the cooking water to taste seasoned inside.