Flavour hack cauliflower salad
with dukkah and sticky sultana relish.
Flavour hacks…
they’ll reward you time and time again! Cauliflower is undoubtedly king of the brassicas and perhaps the very best vegetable to roast on a high heat; the influence of char on cauliflower is utterly transformative! However, the true stars of this recipe are the flavour hacks… the textural complexity and gentle spices of a crunchy hazelnut dukkah, and the sweet, sticky tang of sultana & date relish both work so incredibly well with the roasted cauliflower in this simple salad.
These two flavour hacks - dukkah and sultana & date relish - have already done the bulk of the ‘flavour work’ for you, meaning that, in the moment, this recipe is a speedy matter of roasting some cauliflower on a high heat.
Zero waste.
And, crucially, not just the cauliflower..! You know those lovely leaves and stems that surround the cauli? Well, these are all too often discarded and yet they are equally delicious - if not more so - than the white cauliflower within. When roasted the leaves become wonderfully crispy and the stems soften and sweeten.
We’ve cooked this simple salad so many times - often we serve it with toasted sourdough and some bitter winter leaves, sometimes with left-over grains or pulses muddled through. On the occasion we took this photo we roasted fennel along with the cauliflower as we had a bulb that needed using up and it’s sweet, aniseed flavour was a happy addition indeed.
Be sure to drizzle your salad with a final tablespoon of good olive oil, and a squeeze of fresh lemon to brighten all the flavours.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
This recipes serves ~4 people, depending on the size of the cauliflower, and what it’s served with.
Ingredients:
1 cauliflower, inc. stalks & leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
Generous pinch sea salt
Generous pinch pepper
2 tbsp dukkah
For the quick tahini dressing:
4 tbsp tahini
4 tbsp hot water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar / sherry vinegar
Pinch sea salt
Method:
Preheat the oven to 210 degrees.
Remove the leaves from the cauli and separate out the florets.
Toss the cauliflower with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the salt and pepper, spread the florets evenly on a roasting tray, and cook at the top of the hot oven for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile make the tahini dressing. Whisk together 4 tablespoons tahini, 4 tablespoons of hot water, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of vinegar and a pinch of salt. The addition of water and vinegar lightens and loosens the wonderfully rich tahini and adds a bright hit of acidity; once combined, the dressing should have the perfect drizzling consistency, similar to single cream.
Once the cauliflower is roasted and has taken on some delicious char, remove it from the oven and allow it to ‘steam dry’ for a few minutes before piling your salad high! Dollop delicate spoonful’s of sultana relish on to your serving plate, followed by a handful of the warm cauli leaves and florets. Drizzle with the tahini dressing and a scattering of dukkah, and repeat these layers until your salad is complete.
Top with a final flourish of dukkah, a drizzle of golden oil, and possibly a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.