Last week I made cauliflower puree, by experimenting with the new idea of steaming it in stock. The result was creamier than any cauliflower I’ve ever made! On that post, Laura at Feast Wisely left a note suggesting I also try roasting a whole cauliflower which I’ve never done. Man oh man, this is why I am in love with this blog!

As I did my initial reading, I started with Laura’s post which was simple, easy to follow, and uses some yummy spices. Then, a friend shared her strategy of blanching the cauliflower before baking.  This article has a nice explanation of the various techniques and how each impacts the final dish.  Seeing as I was making this for the first time, I wanted to start simple with olive oil and salt. In terms of method, I chose to place a pan of water in the oven while the cauliflower roasted as this was a new strategy for me.  

This really was a straightforward side that came out of the oven looking beautiful.  I would say that the inside was a bit harder than we prefer, so we just cut off the crowns for our side dish.  We served this with the leftover lentils from earlier in the week which were packed with flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• Olive oil
• Salt

Steps & Notes:

1. Place the cast iron skillet into the oven then
2. Preheat the oven to 375
3. Add a small pan of hot water into the oven as well, to create steam
4. Remove the leaves and the bulkley bottom part of the stem
5. Rinse the cauliflower leaving some water
6. Holding the veggie upside down, drizzle olive oil on teh bottom. Then, massage oil over the head as well.
7. Sprinkle with salt.
8. Once the oven reaches 375, place the cauliflower into the skillet.
9. Bake for 60 minutes!
   • Every 20 minutes I added a light layer of olive oil

Thoughts for next time:

• Make this version with a spicy tahini sauce
• Cook the NYT almond sauce
• Treat it as the main dish like this ‘roast’