Ingredients
| 1 large cauliflower | |
| 2 tablespoons olive oil | |
| ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to cook | |
| FOR THE CRANBERRY-CHILLI OIL | |
| 30g dried cranberries | |
| 1 tablespoon nigella seeds | |
| 2 teaspoons Aleppo chilli flakes | |
| ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon | |
| 1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika | |
| ½ tablespoon toasted sesame seeds | |
| 1½ tablespoons maple syrup or agave syrup | |
| 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari | |
| ½ teaspoon fine sea salt | |
| 100ml vegetable oil | |
| 100g shallots, halved lengthways and finely sliced | |
| 1 red chilli, halved lengthways, deseeded and finely sliced | |
| 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced | |
| FOR THE SAFFRON TAHINI | |
| a pinch of saffron threads | |
| 2 tablespoons boiling water | |
| ½ teaspoon fine sea salt | |
| 150g tahini | |
| 2 tablespoons lemon juice | |
| 1 tablespoon chopped dill |
Pull this one out for a group; I’ve been known to stick a candle in it and serve it for someone’s birthday. Buy the biggest cauliflower you can to maximise the effect, though two smaller ones also works. I serve it whole and carve it at the table because I love the drama.
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Instructions
| 1. | Start with the cranberry-chilli oil. Soak the dried cranberries in a small bowl of hot water for 10 minutes, then drain and roughly chop. |
| 2. | Put the nigella seeds in a heatproof bowl with the Aleppo chilli, cinnamon, paprika, sesame seeds, maple syrup, soy and salt, setting a sieve over the top. |
| 3. | Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan to 180°C or, if you don’t have a thermometer, until the oil sizzles when you drop a shallot slice in. |
| 4. | Once ready, add your shallots and chilli, stirring every so often and cooking for 3 minutes or until they are looking soft. |
| 5. | Add the garlic and cook for a further 3 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent catching, until the shallots are starting to turn golden and look crisp. |
| 6. | They will continue to darken once you remove them from the oil, so it’s better to under-fry than over. |
| 7. | Once the shallot mix is ready, pour the oil through the sieve over the spices, then transfer the shallots, garlic and chilli to a plate lined with kitchen paper to allow them to crisp up. |
| 8. | Once completely cool, combine them with the spiced oil, then stir in the cranberries. Set aside. |
| 9. | Preheat the oven to 220°C fan. |
| 10. | Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. |
| 11. | Trim most of the outer leaves off the cauliflower but leave the rest; they’re delicious when they crisp up. |
| 12. | Submerge the cauliflower, stalk-side up, in the water and boil gently for 8 minutes. |
| 13. | Transfer to a colander in the sink to drain and steam-dry, again stalk side up, for about 10 minutes. |
| 14. | Once the cauliflower has drained and steam-dried, transfer to a tray lined with nonstick baking paper, this time stalk-side down, drizzle over the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt, rubbing them all over the cauliflower. |
| 15. | Roast for 25-30 minutes until golden and browned. |
| 16. | Meanwhile, grind the saffron threads to a powder with a pestle and mortar. |
| 17. | Add the measured boiling water, stir and allow to steep for 10 minutes. |
| 18. | Add the salt, tahini and lemon juice and whisk to combine before slowly whisking in 60-80ml (4-4½ tablespoons) of cold water until you have a sauce the consistency of pancake batter. If it’s still quite stiff, you may want to add a little more water. |
| 19. | Stir in the dill. |
| 20. | To serve, transfer your cauliflower to a serving dish, pour over the saffron tahini and then serve with the cranberry-chilli oil. |