Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Whole roasted cauliflower is deceptively simple. It’s three ingredients: a whole cauliflower, olive oil, and salt – but the technique transforms it into something magical. It is so good I have dreams about it.
Ingredients
1 whole cauliflower – try to pick an ugly one that would otherwise go to food waste
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons salt (for boiling) + a few pinches for sprinkling
Method
Rinse your whole cauliflower well. You can keep the green leaves on, they are fully edible and taste like cabbage. If there are any firm, light brown spots they are oxidization (the same thing that happens to cut apples). If there are any soft, squishy, dark brown or black spots cut them out.
Cut the stem of the cauliflower so it is parallel with the top so it will stand upright on a baking sheet.
Place the whole cauliflower into a large, empty pot that is big enough to fit the whole cauliflower. Fill this with cold water to the top, then remove the cauliflower. Add the salt to the water and bring the water to a boil on the stove.
Once the water is boiling, gently add in your cauliflower and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until your cauliflower is fork tender.
Use a spider strainer to remove the cauliflower to a wire rack and allow it to fully cool. You’ll see an enormous amount of steam leaving the cauliflower, this is what you want. You want all of the steam to escape so that you get a crisp exterior in the next step. If you rush this your cauliflower will not brown.
While this cool, pre-heat your oven as hot as it goes – 450° F to 550° F, use convection if you have it.
Once cool, place the whole cauliflower so it stands up on a baking sheet. Using a pastry brush (recommended) or your hands, rub 1 tablespoon of olive oil onto the surface of the cauliflower. Sprinkle with 1-2 pinches of salt.
Place the cauliflower in the middle of your pre-heated oven and bake for 25-45 minutes. This depends on hot your oven gets and how large your cauliflower is. You want it to be deeply golden brown with some charring.
Remove from the oven, allow it to cool slightly before moving to a serving tray. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil on top.
You can serve this as large slices (like cauliflower steaks) or cut in small pieces. It is delicious on its own, but also great with dips like hummus, lemony yogurt dip, or garlic aioli.
