Recipe from Tomás Kalika
Adapted by Tejal Rao
- Total Time
- 1½ hours, plus cooling overnight
- Rating
- 4(206)
- Notes
- Read community notes
The Argentine chef Tomás Kalika serves this delicious whole roasted cauliflower family-style at Mishiguene, his Buenos Aires restaurant Mr. Kalika adapted the idea from the chef Eyal Shani, whom he worked for in Israel, and who helped propel the whole roasted cauliflower to international fame. Poaching the cauliflower in advance ensures that it is tender and moist all the way through. You could easily substitute water for milk, particularly if the idea of discarding the milk bothers you. But Mr. Kalika says milk helps flavor the vegetable and encourage browning. (And the cauliflower-infused milk can be reused to make a béchamel sauce, for instance.) —Tejal Rao
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Ingredients
Yield:4 Servings
- 1head cauliflower, washed, with leaves intact
- 1teaspoon salt, more for seasoning
- ½gallon whole milk or water
- ⅓cup clarified butter (see note)
- 4teaspoons ras el hanout (see note)
- Salt, to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
489 calories; 34 grams fat; 20 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 27 grams sugars; 18 grams protein; 1493 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Place the cauliflower in a large pot and add the salt and milk (or water) until it’s covered. Top up with water if necessary to completely cover the cauliflower. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to simmer gently until the cauliflower is very tender, about 45 minutes. When the pot is cool, transfer it to the refrigerator overnight.
Step
2
The next day, heat oven to 450 degrees. Drain the cauliflower well and dry the surface with paper towels. (If you used milk, discard or save for use in another recipe.) Place it on a large sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan and drizzle the clarified butter all over the cauliflower, using your hands to make sure the surface is covered. Sprinkle the ras el hanout evenly over the surface and season generously with salt.
Step
3
Wrap the parchment paper around the base of the cauliflower, leaving only the white part exposed. Roast in the paper for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the surface is a deep golden brown. Serve hot.
- To make your own clarified butter, melt 4 ounces unsalted butter in a saucepan and simmer gently until a froth forms on the surface. When froth thins out and starts to color on its edges, pour the clarified butter through a fine-meshed strainer.
- To make ras el hanout, lightly toast 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and 1 teaspoon coriander seeds. Crush in a spice grinder with ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ginger powder and about 10 black peppercorns.
Ratings
4
out of 5
206
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Cooking Notes
Naani-Daadi
Indian version: Blanch cauliflower quickly. Cover with readymade Tandoori paste and yogurt mixture, Drzizlle with store-bought ghee. Bake in 450 degree oven until browned on top. Meanwhile, pop mustard seed in oil, Saute chopped onion garlic and ginger; turmeric, dried coriander, red chili powder, add a cupful of frozen peas and a can of diced tomatoes, simmer till peas are just cooked through, Serve cauliflower in a flat platter, surrounded by peas, sprinkled with a chopped fresh coriander.
ElizabethAMK
much easier version: don't blanch whole cauliflower head. mix ras el hanout and salt with full fat greek yogurt or nonfat greek yogurt enriched with addition of olive oil. coat the raw cauliflower thickly with yogurt mixture. place on parchment paper and back 375 for 45-60 min until browned. nice additional is to sprinkle with gremolata
SharonATX
We made this last night:
1) There's no way half a gallon of milk will fully cover the cauliflower in a large pot. We used 1/2 gallon of milk and a gallon of water.
2) 45 minutes was WAY too long for simmering! Try 30.
3) You do not need 1/3 cup of the butter. Try a 1/4.
4) The end result was good, but not great because while the exterior of the cauliflower was good, the rest of it was rather bland.
This recipe is a bit meshugah. Wouldn't make again.
G_Muc
It seem's to me that 45 minutes are a little bit too long,or?
Muffy Duffy
I made ElizabethAMK’s easy version just coating raw cauliflower with mixture of ras hanout, yogurt, olive oil and baked at 375 for 50 mins or so. It was great and so easy. Thanks Elizabeth for simplifying this for me!
Gene
I followed the recipe, cooking for 45 minutes, and refrigerating overnight. When I drained the pot and went to lift it out, it was total MUSH. Right into the trash. This recipe is defective.
Lilikoi
This was amazing. Minor modifications: roasted the cauliflower raw, broken into florets with a can of chickpeas, tossed with plenty olive oil and ras el hanout. Tossed at 10 and 20 minute mark. At 30 minute mark, added 4T pine nuts (from Lebanon), warmed in 2T softening butter, and tossed again. 5 more minutes in oven. Great flavors, good main dish protein, use more oil when feeding vegans.
TriciaPDX
I've poached cauliflower in milk before, but used both the cauliflower and the milk in twice-baked baked potatoes. I'd use this poaching milk the same way, or in mashed potatoes. The milk is faintly cauliflower-y so it might taste odd in bechamel.
Freeze it in a tightly sealed plastic freezer bag on its side so you create a sheet of milk. Then break off pieces of frozen milk to use as needed.
media literacy
What notes?
bridget
Only simmered for about 25 minutes- very mushy. Impossible to dry off, even after draining the liquid and leaving it out in the open in the fridge all day. Broiling to crisp it helped a bit.
wendi
Meh. So mushy that it ended up having to be puréed. WAY too much Ras El Hanout. Won’t make again.
Cassandra
This was really good. I cooked as directed - except using just organic unsalted butter (no clarified). It turns out very mushy but still pleasant. I wouldn’t characterize this as roasted. Would be great puréed and turned into a mash.
David
There is no Note in the recipe about the exotic ingredient (al hanout?)
Susan
I made this by cutting up the cauliflower in 1 1/2 inch pieces, mixing those pieces with olive oil and the spice mix. Then I roasted at 400 degrees, turning after 12 minutes; and taking out at 20. No blandness here! Excellent.
Nik
Oven @ 425Slice raw cauliflower 1/2 inch thickDressing: 1 cup plain goat yogurt - 2 TBsp ras el hanout, 2TBsp EVOOToss w/cauliRoast on parchment paper for 30-45 min, til it's crispy but not burnt - turning halfway through (keep an eye on it)Finish with:a. Maldon saltb. drizzle of honey and lime for a yummmc. whatever you wantPro tip - leave all the little cauli bits, they get nice and crunchy
moni52
I recommend a less time-consuming and wasteful method for whole roasted cauliflower: Drizzle 1/2 cup of olive oil over dry cauliflower head. Season liberally with salt. Put whole head florets-side up in cast iron skillet and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes covered at 375 degrees. Remove foil and roast for an additional hour in the oven. My kids like it so much they ask me to make it!
Martha
This was soooo mushy and not good at all. I thought it cooked for way too long, but decided I should follow the recipe. It just fell apart.
Max Davies
Roasted cauliflower is much improved by drizzling it with lots of pesto sauce (get it into the cracks) for the final 20 minutes in the oven.
Stupock
Saw recipe here a while back: cut off greens to make flat bottom of cauliflower. Set in cast iron pan. Coat with olive oil (rub it in with your hands) sprinkle with Zatar, tumeric or whatever spices you like. Oven to 425 with cauliflower on middle rack. Put roasting pan with water on lower rack. Don't peek for 45-50 min. It will be perfect; but can roast longer or carefully broil to finish (remove roasting pan with water). I like to sprinkle some parmesan at broil step
Muffy Duffy
I made ElizabethAMK’s easy version just coating raw cauliflower with mixture of ras hanout, yogurt, olive oil and baked at 375 for 50 mins or so. It was great and so easy. Thanks Elizabeth for simplifying this for me!
Soraya
Wondering if Buttermilk would be a nice addition to the blanching liquid.
Cindy
Cut off enough stem so it would sit flatMost chill in pot overnight or it will fall apart.OK to be generous with seasoning, try to get bottom as well as topSuper soft, very enjoyable
Lilikoi
This was amazing. Minor modifications: roasted the cauliflower raw, broken into florets with a can of chickpeas, tossed with plenty olive oil and ras el hanout. Tossed at 10 and 20 minute mark. At 30 minute mark, added 4T pine nuts (from Lebanon), warmed in 2T softening butter, and tossed again. 5 more minutes in oven. Great flavors, good main dish protein, use more oil when feeding vegans.
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