WHOLE ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH BARBECUE SAUCE
PG tested
“There’s something beautiful and dramatic about bringing a whole cauliflower to the table and carving it for people as if it were a turkey or rib roast,” writes Jose Andres, chef and humanitarin, in his cookbook, “Vegetables Unleashed.” And it’s true — This recipe is a stunner, and it’s so easy for even noncooks to pull off.
The original recipes calls for leaving the cauliflower intact, with the core and stem carefully carved out, so it can be carved into thick wedges. I chose instead to separate the vegetable into large pieces.
The cauliflower can be served as a side or as a vegetarian or vegan (depending on the sauce ingredients) main dish. Cut into pieces, the leftovers would be an excellent taco filling or served with toothpicks as a low-cal party nibble.
If you don’t feel like making barbecue sauce from scratch, substitute your favorite commercial brand. Mr. Andres suggests using Stubb’s Smokey Mesquite.
1 large head cauliflower (about 2½ pounds)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
For barbecue sauce
16 ounces tomato sauce ¼ cup white vinegar 1 tablespoon molasses 1 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper ⅛ teaspoon celery seed
Kosher salt and black or white pepper
Dash or two of hot sauce Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Turn cauliflower upside down and remove leaves. Trim the stem as far back as you an using a small sharp knife, then carefully cut out some of the remaining core so the cauliflower will cook evenly. Pierce the stem a few times with a knife.
Put cauliflower in a shallow roasting pan or gratin dish that holds it fairly snugly and brush it all over with the olive oil, then season generously with salt. Turn cauliflower right side up and roast it for about 35 minutes.
While cauliflower is roasting, make barbecue sauce. Combine sauce ingredients in a non-reactive sauce pan. Adjust for salt, and add a fair amount of pepper and hot sauce. Bring the contents of the pan to a boil, cut the heat and simmer slowly until the sauce is slightly thick. Reserve ½ cup of sauce.
When cauliflower is golden and tender, remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes to release steam. (Leave the oven on.)
Brush ⅓ cup barbecue sauce all over the cauliflower and roast for 10 minutes more
Turn on the broiler and brush cauliflower with remaining barbecue sauce Broil the cauliflower about 10 inches from heat, basting twice until browned and glazed, about 10 minutes; it’s OK if it’s slightly charred in spots, Carve the cauliflower into wedges and serve.
Serves 4 to 6.