Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted cauliflower is favourite with everyone in my family, including my mother. In this recipe I smother it with an aromatic tahini paste, with plenty of garlic and spices. It is important to use a medium cauliflower to allow for it to cook through without burning its coating. I like to serve it accompanied with pilau rice, barbecued flat bread and a riata sauce.

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4 Portions as a main or 6 if served with a selection of dishes

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Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 50-60 minutes

Ingredients

Paste

3 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp (75g) yoghurt (natural or Greek)
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground chilli
1 tbsp water

To serve

Olive oil
4 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
reserved lemon zest
1 pomegranate

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C. Place all the paste ingredients except the lemon zest (reserve for serving) in a bowl large enough to hold the cauliflower. Mix them together until well combined.
Remove outer leaves of cauliflower (small leaves can be left on if you like for presentation). Trim the base stalk so it can sit flat. Make a deep criss-cross in the base of the cauliflower. Place the cauliflower in the bowl with the paste and coat it well all over, rubbing the paste into all the florets.
Place the cauliflower in a medium to large casserole pan or Dutch oven, cover with a lid and place on the centre shelf of the preheated oven. Leave to cook for 30 minutes the remove the lid and allow to cook for a further 20 to 30 minutes until lightly browned. The cauliflower should be tender, if not allow to cook for another 10-15 minutes.
To Serve: Drizzle a little olive oil over the cauliflower, scatter over the parsley, lemon zest and pomegranate seeds. Serve as a dish on its own or as part of meal.