Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini and Date Syrup
A whole head roasted until the outside is nearly burnt, carved at the table like a small, strange cake.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 1 hr
- Written
Method
-
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and lower in the whole cauliflower, core down; boil until a knife meets slight resistance at the center, about 8 minutes.
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Drain and set the head upside down on a rack for a few minutes so it steams dry — a wet surface won’t take the oil or brown.
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Set the cauliflower in a baking dish, rub all over with the olive oil and salt, and roast at 450°F until deeply browned and craggy all over, 45–55 minutes.
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Whisk the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and warm water together until it loosens into a sauce that falls off the whisk in a ribbon.
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Spoon the tahini sauce over the roasted head, then drizzle with date syrup and scatter with pine nuts and parsley.
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Finish with flaky salt and chili flakes and bring it to the table whole, cutting it into wedges in front of everyone.
Notes
Parboiling first is what makes this work — a raw head that size roasts a crisp shell around a center that’s still hard by the time the outside burns. Boil it most of the way there, then let the oven do the one thing it’s good at, which is color.
This holds the table on its own as a main, but it’s just as good pushed to the side of a plate with something grain-based underneath it — farro or rice — to catch the sauce that runs off when you cut in.