Showstopper Cauli with Speedy Satay & Hazelnut Dukkah

hands-on time 35 mins / total time 40 mins/  serves 6 as a side 

Showstopper Cauli with Speedy Satay & Hazelnut Dukkah Photo: Supplied / Aaron McLean

Not only is this delicious, it also looks beautiful – the parboiled and slightly charred cauli unfurling, with a spicy tahini satay, a sprinkling of dukkah and a flourish of chopped herbs. Made for sharing, place the cauli in the centre of the table and dig in together.  

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp + ¼⁄¾ tsp sea salt  
• 1 large cauliflower, a few tender leaves left on  
• 4 tbsp olive oil  
• finely grated zest and freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon  
• 1 tbsp muscovado sugar  
• 1 tbsp ground sumac  
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon  
• 1 tsp ground ginger  
• 1 tsp ground cardamom  
• ½ tsp ground chipotle chilli  
• 3 tbsp finely chopped coriander, plus extra to serve  
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped  
• ½ tsp cracked black pepper  

Speedy satay  

• 3 tbsp crunchy peanut butter  
• 1 tbsp tahini  
• freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon  
• 1 tbsp maple syrup  
• 1 tsp gluten-free hoisin or gluten-free soy sauce  
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped  
• ½ tsp ground chipotle chilli  
• ¼ tsp sea salt  
• ¼ tsp cracked black pepper  

Hazelnut dukkah

• 40g hazelnuts, roughly chopped
• 1 ½ tsp each coriander seeds, cumin seeds and sesame seeds  
• ½ tsp each sea salt and cracked black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C fan-forced (or 240°C conventional). For the showstopper cauli, fill a large saucepan (big enough to fit your cauliflower) with water. Add 2 tbsp salt and bring to the boil over high heat. Carefully add the whole cauliflower and cook for about 8 minutes, until parboiled (a knife should go easily through most of the cauliflower but meet some resistance at the centre). In a bowl, whisk together the remaining cauli ingredients, including the remaining ¼⁄¾ tsp salt, to form a slightly runny paste. Drain the cauliflower and transfer to a rack to ‘drip-dry’ for 2 minutes. Transfer the cauliflower to a large casserole dish or roasting tin and brush the paste over, massaging it into the crevasses to evenly coat. Roast for 15 minutes, until the top of the cauliflower is slightly charred. Remove from the oven.  

To make the speedy satay, place all ingredients into a jar or bowl. Add about 40ml cold water a little at a time, whisking with a fork after each addition until it forms a thick but pourable sauce.  

For the hazelnut dukkah, toast the chopped hazelnuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, until just starting to brown a little. Add the cumin, coriander and sesame seeds and toast for a further 2 minutes, until the hazelnuts are golden brown and the seeds are fragrant and toasted. Use a mortar and pestle to grind until the seeds form a coarse powder around the chopped hazelnuts, still with some texture and crunch. Stir in the salt and pepper. Serve the whole cauliflower hot, topped with the speedy satay, hazelnut dukkah and a generous sprinkling of coriander.