Roasted stu ed cauliflower
A vegan roast is a hard thing to get right – there are lots of flavourful options, but they’re not always pretty. That’s where this comes in: a whole roasted cauliflower is already a thing of beauty, but this is taken to the next level by being stuffed, and that calls for ceremonial carving at the table.
SERVES 6 PREP 25 mins COOK 1 hr 5 mins MORE EFFORT V
1 large or 2 small cauli lowers (you’ll need about 850g)
5 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp breadcrumbs
For the stu ing
250g kale, chopped
1 tbsp milled linseed 1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped 1/2 small bunch of sage, leaves picked and chopped 1/2 small bunch of rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
150g cooked chestnuts, inely chopped, plus 30g for the topping 2 lemons, zested a grating of nutmeg
1 Trim the cauliflower, discarding the leaves. Turn the cauliflower upside-down on a chopping board, and use your knife to carefully cut out the stalk and core, leaving a cavity – the florets should still be holding together.
2 Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Submerge the cauliflower in the water and cook for 7 mins. Remove with two slotted spoons and leave to steam-dry.
3 For the stu ng, wilt the kale in the pan with the the cauliflower for 1 min. Drain, then rinse under cold running water to cool. Squeeze out the excess liquid and roughly chop.
4 Mix the linseed with 3 tbsp water and leave for 5-10 mins until gluey. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan, and cook the onion with a pinch of salt until softened. Stir in the remaining stu ng ingredients along with the kale, and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat, season, and tip into a blender with 150ml water and the linseed mixture. Blitz to a thick purée. Spoon into a piping bag and pipe the stu ng into the cavity of the cauliflower. Transfer to a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Will keep chilled for a few hours.
5 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Mix the 30g chestnuts with the breadcrumbs. Season. Drizzle the cauliflower with the rest of the oil, then pat on the breadcrumb mix. Roast for 45 mins, or until golden and tender. Serve with any crisp bits that have fallen onto the baking tray.
GOOD TO KNOW vegan • healthy • folate • ibre • vit c • iron • 2 of 5-a-day
PER SERVING 261 kcals • fat 12g • saturates 2g • carbs 27g • sugars 8g • ibre 7g • protein 6g • salt 0.4g