Roast Cauliflower with Tahini
Cut thick so the middle stays firm, and roasted long enough that the edges go properly dark.
Undercooked cauliflower is the reason people say they do not like cauliflower. It needs to go past golden and into brown, which takes longer than most recipes admit.
Tahini sauce splits and seizes when the water goes in fast, then comes back smooth if you keep going. Knowing that in advance saves throwing out a bowl of it.
Ingredients
| Amount | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 1 | large cauliflower, cut into thick slabs |
| 3 tbsp | olive oil |
| 1 tsp | ground cumin |
| 1/3 cup | tahini |
| 1 | lemon, juiced |
| 1 | small garlic clove, grated |
| 1/4 cup | cold water, roughly |
| 2 tbsp | parsley and pomegranate seeds, to finish |
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Cut the cauliflower into slabs about an inch thick, keeping the core so they hold together.
- Toss with oil, cumin and salt, and lay them flat on a tray with space between.
- Roast twenty minutes, turn once, then fifteen more. Dark brown at the edges is right; golden is undercooked.
- Whisk the tahini, lemon and garlic. It will seize into a paste — that is expected.
- Add the water a tablespoon at a time, whisking. It goes from paste to smooth around the third spoonful.
- Sauce on the plate, cauliflower on top, herbs and pomegranate over.
Notes
- The small loose florets that fall off go darkest and get eaten straight off the tray. Consider them part of the recipe.
- The sauce thickens in the fridge and loosens with more water. It keeps a week.
- Cumin burns at this temperature if it is not coated in oil. Toss properly.
Questions
Why did my tahini go solid?
That is what tahini does when the first liquid hits it. Keep whisking and keep adding water slowly; it comes back every time.
Can I do this with broccoli?
Yes, and cut the time by about ten minutes. Broccoli burns where cauliflower browns.
Is this a main course?
With flatbread and something with beans in it, yes. On its own it is a side.