Cookies Preferences
I love the idea of a whole-roasted cauliflower, and this one is based on Baron restaurant's version. They've pimped it out with lots of yummy toppings and a schwarma butter spice rub that infuses it with flavor in the oven. Vegetables have gone so far beyond being just the obligatory mushy green whatever next to the meat main course and this dish highlights their versatility. This would happily serve as a vegetarian main dish or along side some lovely lamb chops or even fish.
walnut salsa
65g walnuts, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, grated finely on a microplane
3 tabelspoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
pinch of salt
shawarma spice blend
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 Tbsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
tahini tarator sauce
1/2 cup tahini sauce 125g
1/2 cup cold water 110ml
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1 garlic clove grated on microplane
juice of one lemon (about 1/4 cup)
salt to taste
to put it all together
1 head cauliflower
unsalted butter, at room temperature to coat
shawarma spice blend to coat
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
handful of herbs including coriander, mint, and thyme
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Rub the softened butter all over the cauliflower, making sure to get into all the nooks and crannys and the underside. Do the same with the shawarma spice mixture, rubbing it in very well. Place the cauliflower into a dutch oven and place in the preheated oven and cook for 45 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid and cook for 15-30 more minutes, until it’s tender when pierced with a pairing knife.\
While it’s cooking prepare the other ingredients. Simply mix together all of the walnut salsa ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Whisk together all of the tahini taratar sauce ingredients and season to taste with salt and more lemon if you like. Pick herbs and prepare the pomegranate seeds.
To assemble, remove the cauliflower from the oven and carefully place on a serving platter. First drizzle you plate to create a bed of the tarator with the tahini tarator sauce, then add some of the herbs, then the walnut salsa, then the pomegranate seeds, and then finally the remaining herbs.
