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Cauliflower with Spiced Tahini and Garlic-Chili Oil
This recipe melds the best qualities of two Middle Eastern–style cauliflower dishes we tasted at two restaurants in London—Berber & Q Shawarma and The Barbary. We start by steam-roasting a whole head of cauliflower until tender, then slather it with a mixture of tahini and spices that caramelizes under a hot broiler. Grated fresh tomatoes and a pungent garlic-chili oil finish the dish, along with parsley and toasted pine nuts. To serve, cut into wedges as if serving a cake.
4 to 6
Servings
Tip
Don’t bother opening the foil packet to test the cauliflower for doneness. It’s fine to insert the skewer through the foil. When making the garlic-chili oil, be careful not to overcook the garlic and pepper flakes or the flavors will turn acrid. When the mixture starts to sizzle gently, transfer it to a small bowl; if left in the skillet, the residual heat may cause scorching.
1 hour 10 minutes
30 minutes, plus cooling
Ingredients
-
¼
cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
-
2
pound head cauliflower, trimmed
Directions
-
01Heat the oven to 475°F with a rack in the middle position. Line a broiler-safe rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly brush the foil with oil. Place the cauliflower in the center, then draw up the edges of the foil; drizzle 2 tablespoons water onto the cauliflower, then enclose the head, folding and crimping the edges of the foil to seal. Bake until a skewer inserted into the cauliflower meets no resistance, 40 to 50 minutes.
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I don't even normally care for cauliflower, but I'm trying to cook/eat more vegetarian dishes and this sounded so good - and it was! I added some fresh chopped cilantro to the chili-garlic-oil and a little drizzle of pomegranate molasses at the end with the parsley and pine nuts. The only ground sumac I could find had salt in it so I left the added salt out of the tahini paste. It was wonderful - full of flavor and beautiful on the plate - and I'm happy to add cauliflower to my recipe repertoire now, thank you!
Hi Barbara -
We would probably pair this with a hearty grain or bean/legume dish such as our Chickpea and Cucumber Salad (https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/chickpea-cucumber-salad-cookish), Tunisian Chickpeas with Swiss Chard (https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/tunisian-chickpeas), or Turkish-Style Bulgur with Scallions and Pomegranate Molasses (https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/turkish-style-bulgur-cookish).
Best,
The Milk Street Team
Hiya, I've made this once, and it was fantastic. Now that I'm making it for a second time, I'm wondering if it's okay to skip the cooling 10 minutes. It takes me longer to do each step of a recipe than a professional recipe assumes, so I did all the "next" steps while the cauliflower steams. Can I slather the tahini paste on right after the steaming, or does the wait time allow the cauli time to cool enough so it allows the paste to set and not drip off?
Thanks.
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I made this last night. It was pretty good. I did not cut off the bottom as I was afraid it will come apart. I think I will do so next time. The flavor was good and the way it looked was amazing (a red dome with lots of flavors and colors). The only thing that I have added more was salt and pepper. I kept tasting the tahini and it was not salty enough. I will definitely make this again. I have learned from this recipe how to cook cauliflower in the oven. It was simple and no mess. Thank you for the recipe.