This is the best whole roast cauliflower in the world made famous by Eyal Shani’s North Abraxass restaurant in Tel Aviv. This dish was life-changing for me. The first time I ate it I couldn’t believe that cauliflower could be this delicious and I have been making it this way ever since.
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Cauliflower is the most amazing vegetable in the world and it has superpowers enabling it tomasquerade as a carb and disguise itself as a delicious Italian sauce, but eating it whole roasted in this way, is simply the very best way it can be eaten. And I’m not making this up.
You can read the backstory about how Israeli celebrity chef Eyal Shani took this humble dish and turned it into a worldwide phenomenon here – and this was over 10 years ago.
Of course, since then everyone who is anyone in the food world has made their own version of the dish. In most cases, the cauliflower gets whacked in the oven whole and raw with various seasonings and olive oil. No doubt also delicious, but, what sets Shani’s dish apart from the rest is that it is parboiled in salted water and then drained like a potato to get rid of moisture and maintain texture.
The other technique that takes his whole roast cauliflower to the next level is pushing the boundary on the charring stage. Almost to the point of burning – and certainly burnt in parts. It’s there where all the flavour lies. Rich umami that makes you salivate and devour a whole head without a blink of an eye. Eyal Shani says ‘“People don’t tend to be generous with their vegetables. With meat they are, and this is something primordial within us. The cauliflower engenders generosity,”
I was lucky enough to get to both dine and meet the charismatic man himself on my trip to Israel in January. It was an absolute highlight. Not only have I never seen chefs and service staff stop in the middle of what they were doing to dance, sing and burn sage, but I had never been served a whole head of cauliflower this delicious, straight up on paper without any cutlery to devour with my hands. It was a life-changing culinary moment.
We managed to garner as much intel as we could about how to recreate this incredible dish from various people on the trip, and since we’ve been back a few of us have been playing around in the kitchen.
Aida Mollenkamp from Salt & Wind made her version with a garlic and tahini sauce, and Luiz Hara, aka The London Foodie, kept things straight up like the original. I decided to do the same. I mean why change perfection, anyway, I craved that incredible flavour.
How to make the best-roasted cauliflower in the world
It’s all going to depend on the size of your cauliflower to start. If it’s large, I would say boil for 15 minutes, and if it’s small – as mine was, boil for 10.
His recipe calls for 10 grams of salt for every litre of water, but I found 2 – 3 tablespoons for a large pot perfect.
Allow it to drain and cool before pouring over a generous amount of olive oil – I think I got a little carried away here and added too much. Then season with salt and pepper. Shani doesn’t use pepper in his recipe, but I like it.
Roast in a very hot oven for an hour at 220C. After researching this article and finding Shani’s recipe online – I see he recommends 220C and doesn’t state how long to cook it for. Just until golden. I also found the second time I made it the bottom got charred too and formed a delicious chewy base, perhaps this was due to using too much olive oil.
Recipe adapted fromEyal Shani
The best whole-roasted cauliflower in the world
The Best whole roasted cauliflower in the world recipe by Eyal Shani.
Print Recipe
Prep Time:15 minutes mins
Cook Time:1 hour hr
Ingredients
- 1 whole medium-sized fresh, white cauliflower, florets tightly packed and covered in bright green leaves
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- Mineral water
- sea salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 220 C (430 degrees F).
Bring a large pot of salty water to a boil. Add about 10 grams of salt per liter of water. Cover with a lid and cook the cauliflower for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the cauliflower. Drain in a colander for at least 5 – 10 minutes
Brush or drizzle the cauliflower with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Place in a baking dish and place and bake in the middle of the oven until the top turns golden brown. About an hour.
Serve on the table in the baking dish. The outside of the cauliflower should be crisp and the inside as soft as butter. Separate the florets with a spoon and serve.
Anyway, you will love it and I recommend you get making this as soon as possible and let me know what you think.
I’ve thought of adding cheese or a cheese sauce to the finished product, but then it’s pretty perfect as is.
Servings: 4 as a side
Author: Sam Linsell
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FAQs
If you're planning to roast the cauliflower whole or slice it into steaks, slice off the thick stem at the base. Drop the whole cauliflower head upside-down into cool, salted water. Let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes to remove dirt, residue and bugs.
Why is my roasted cauliflower mushy? ›
First, take care not to overcrowd your pan; if the cauliflower is packed in rim-to-rim, the moisture will not be able to escape as the florets cook, which will result in soft steamed cauliflower instead of roasted. Next, don't be overly generous with the oil — a light coating is what we're after here.
How to roast a cauliflower Ottolenghi? ›
In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower with three tablespoons of oil and a half-teaspoon of salt, then spread out on a large oven tray lined with greaseproof paper. Roast for 22-25 minutes, until lightly charred but still with a bite. Transfer to a large bowl and leave to cool. 2.
Why is my cauliflower not cooking? ›
Cauliflower has a very high water content, so it won't get crispy if you bake the florets crowded together. "Be sure to give each floret a bit of room so that the they have space for airflow. I'd also recommend baking them on a silicone baking mat," says Blay.
What does vinegar do to cauliflower? ›
Adding vinegar to the cooking water when cooking cauliflower is a common technique that can help to reduce the strong sulfur smell that cauliflower can sometimes give off while cooking. The vinegar can help to neutralize the sulfur compounds in the cauliflower, resulting in a milder aroma and flavor.
What will adding lemon juice to the water for cooking cauliflower do? ›
Cauliflower should be cooked quartered, or cut into florets at the base of the stem. In kitchen lore, lemon juice, milk, flour and vinegar have all been recommended as additions to cauliflower cooking water, presumably to keep it white.
What is the secret to roasting vegetables? ›
If you crowd and overlap the veggies, they will steam and get mushy, not what we want! Roast vegetables at a high heat, 425 degrees F and make sure you preheat the oven so it is HOT when the veggies go in! Flip! For even browning and caramelization, flip vegetables halfway through cook time.
What brings out the Flavour of cauliflower? ›
This is true of any vegetable — boiling it will give you a flavor closer to the raw flavor, which means more bitterness and more astringency. Caramelizing it will bring out its hidden sweetness. This light, vibrant roasted cauliflower salad is a recipe I developed for the fall menu at Duo.
Should cauliflower be washed before roasting? ›
Cauliflower florets are usually pre-washed. However, if you purchased a head of cauliflower, you'll want to rinse off the cauliflower head so it's free of dirt, bugs, or debris.
How to cook cauliflower Gordon Ramsay? ›
Cooking instructions
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the cauliflower florets and cook for 4-5 minutes until just tender. Drain and refresh in iced water, drain again and transfer to a large ovenproof dish.
Start by preheating the oven to 425°F. Don't go any lower with the oven temperature here—a hot oven helps the cauliflower florets crisp up and caramelize as they cook. If your oven has a convection setting, I recommend using it! It'll help the cauliflower brown beautifully.
What does baking soda do to cauliflower? ›
Baking soda is often used as a natural cleaning agent, and it can be used to brighten up your veggies too. Sprinkle a little in the water before boiling to prevent cauliflower from yellowing and make corn look more vibrant.
Why did my cauliflower turn green when I cooked it? ›
If cooked too much the cauliflower will lose its purple color and turn green ‐ which isn't bad but it will cease to look nice. Cauliflower should be dense and heavy with a satiny stem. The leaves surrounding the florets should be fresh and green.
Can you cook cauliflower too long? ›
The general rule of thumb is about 20 minutes. Cauliflower that is overcooked will lose up to 50% of its vitamins and minerals. If you want a healthy meal, cook it for just a few minutes less.
How long to soak cauliflower in vinegar water? ›
Produce with rough outer skin: Items such as broccoli, potatoes and cauliflower are a little harder to clean. Soak in a solution of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water for 1 minute. For heads of cabbage or lettuce, it's best to separate the leaves first.
Is it worth marinating cauliflower? ›
Mildly Marinated Cauliflower is the perfect balance of pickling spices. There's a sweet tang that children will love and don't hesitate to add it to salads.
Is it OK to soak cauliflower in water? ›
Broccoli and Cauliflower
Get your cruciferous veggies squeaky clean by filling a sink with cold water and then soaking them for a few minutes. Then, gently lift them out of the water, place in a colander and rinse again under a stream of more cold water.
