This is a sumac and cumin spiced almond crusted cauliflower, with a spring onion & mint chilli oil, all sitting on a creamy Ajo Blanco dressing. Its vegan, but that feels a little besides the point, because its absolutely delicious. The crusting on the cauliflower gives so much texture, with the sumac and cumin giving tangy and earthy flavour.
Preheat oven to 180c fan.
Place the cauliflower on a lined baking tray, drizzle with the 2tbsp of the oil and 1/2 salt and roast for 30 minutes until golden. Mix together the remaining salt & oil, yoghurt, spices, zest, almonds and garlic and smooth over the cauliflower to make a crust. Roast for a further 15 minutes.
For the spiced oil, add the oil, spring onions, star anise, cinnamon stick, caraway to a small saucepan, and bring to a very gentle simmer (but not the boil). Simmer for 5 minutes or until the spices are aromatic. Turn off the heat and allow to cool. In a small bowl, add the dried mint & aleppo chilli flakes, salt, agave and lemon juice, before straining over the infused oil and discarding the spices. Add the mint too, but only just before serving so it retains its vibrancy and doesn't wilt in the oil.
For the ajo blanco, add the almonds, 5 tbsp water, garlic & sherry vinegar to a jug and use a stick blender to blitz into a smooth paste. With the blender still running, slowly trickle in the olive oil in a steady stream until thoroughly combined and you have a thick, emulsified sauce. Add the lemon juice and salt and blitz to incorporate.
To plate, spoon the ajo blanco to the bottom of the serving dish and top with the cauliflower. Add the mint to the spiced oil, stir and spoon over the cauliflower.
