Smoky Roast Cauliflower With Capers & Lemon

Recipe extracted, with permission, from Repertoire by Alice Hart

A side designed to be the base of a meal. This roast cauliflower is sweet and mellow, balanced by the piquancy of lemon flesh, parsley and capers. We haven’t shown it in the photograph as the whole cauliflower was so handsome, but the Basil & Lemon Pistou makes an ideal accompaniment to keep the table vegan and add another layer of vibrancy. Otherwise, one of the mayonnaise-style sauces from The Sauce, the Piri Piri Everything (page 176) or any kind of pesto would be very fine with this, plus, as mentioned in the method below, dressed lentils or a bitter leaf salad.

Serves 4–6 with other sides | Preparation time: 25 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour 35 minutes | Vegan

Ingredients

• 1 extra-large (1.5kg) cauliflower, tough or excess outer leaves removed and base trimmed flat
• 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to taste
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 3 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 2 tsp finely chopped thyme leaves
• 2 lemons, finely grated zest and reserve the lemons
• 2 tbsp tiny capers, rinsed and drained
• 2 tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Basil & Lemon Pistou (page 180), to serve
• chicory or rocket (arugula) salad or mustard-dressed lentils, to serve

Method

Steam the whole cauliflower in a lidded steamer or colander set over simmering water for 20 minutes. Drain and leave to cool for a few minutes until the cauliflower is cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 170°C fan (190°C/375°F/gas 5).

Combine the paprika and cumin seeds with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a bowl. Season this mixture well with salt and pepper, then rub it over the surface of the cauliflower. Set it in a large casserole (Dutch oven), cover with the lid and roast for about 1 hour, or until tender in the middle when a skewer is poked in.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic with the maple syrup, sherry vinegar, thyme and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper and set aside.

Top and tail one of the zested lemons, revealing the flesh at either end. Slice the peel and white pith away, following the shape of the fruit to leave the flesh intact. Slice between the membranes to remove the lemon segments. Roughly chop these. Combine this chopped lemon flesh with the remaining olive oil, capers, all the lemon zest, the juice of the remaining lemon and the parsley.

Remove the lid from the cauliflower, spoon over the garlic dressing and continue to roast for 10 minutes until golden. Either keep the cauliflower in the pot and take straight to the table or carefully transfer to a serving platter and spoon the caper mixture over. Serve with the pistou on the side. A crisp chicory or rocket salad and perhaps some mustard-dressed lentils go well.