Whole Roast Cauliflower

Ingredients

• 1 large cauliflower, leaves left on
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp harissa
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 60 g tahini
• seeds from 1/2 pomegranate
• a handful of parsley
• 40 g flaked almonds, toasted

Method

1. Trim, but keep the leaves

   Cut the stalk flat so it sits steady and leave the inner leaves attached. They char into crisp, blackened frills and are the best part — most recipes throw them away.

2. Steam it first

   Steam or boil the whole head for 12 minutes until a knife meets slight resistance at the core. Roasted from raw, the outside is black long before the middle is cooked, and this is where whole cauliflower usually goes wrong.

   12 min

3. Dry, then coat

   Let it steam dry for five minutes, then rub the harissa mixed with the oil, cumin, lemon zest and salt all over, working it into the crevices. A wet surface makes the paste slide off.

4. Roast hard

   Roast at 220°C for 40 minutes, basting once with the pan juices, until deeply browned and a skewer slides through with no resistance.

   40 min

5. Loosen the tahini

   Whisk the tahini with the lemon juice, salt and cold water a spoonful at a time until pourable. It will seize before it slackens.

6. Serve whole

   Bring it to the table whole and cut it into wedges there, spooning the tahini over and scattering the pomegranate, parsley and almonds. It is worth the theatre.