As part of our exploration of cooking vegetables , here’s a new, less spicy version of roasted cauliflower. By the way, “roasting” means cooking in a very hot oven. For this recipe we will be roasting cauliflower at 500°. You wouldn’t roast cookies, brownies or flan because they would burn on the outside before they were fully cooked. And even though we say we “bake” pizzas, in reality we roast them because to get a good char on the crust you need a very hot oven, at least 500°. Generally when roasting, you don’t want to roast your product for too long otherwise it will burn. For this recipe, we will be roasting cauliflower for 15 to 18 minutes.
SO WHY DO WE roast instead of baking the cauliflower? Roasting creates the maillard reaction - the brown char that happens when the naturally occuring sugars in the cauliflower caramelize. This creates a deep umami flavor you can’t achieve at lower heats. This is the same reaction created when sauteing and grilling. You need a high heat for this.
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup tahini - stir well before measuring
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 large head cauliflower (about 2½ pounds), cut into 1½- to 2-inch florets
1/3 cup roasted, salted cashews, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oven to 500ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set on the rack to heat (I skipped this step but had to clean the sheet later). In a large bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon zest, garlic, salt, paprika, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, the oil, and cayenne. Add the cauliflower and toss to coat.
2. Working quickly, remove the baking sheet from the oven, spray it with oil and spread the cauliflower on it in an even layer, scraping any remaining tahini onto the pan (I skipped this step and had to clean the sheet pan later). Reserve the bowl. Roast until well browned in spots and just tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through.
3. Transfer the roasted florets to the reserved bowl. Add the remaining lemon juice and toss. Add half of the nuts and the cilantro and toss. Sprinkle with the remaining cashews and serve drizzled with more oil and tahini, if desired.
4. Serve immediately.
