Helen Graham's Crusted Cauliflower with Ajo Blanco and a Mint & Spring Onion Salsa

This crusted cauliflower is a delightful twist on all the spring flavours we know and love!

Done in 55 minutes

Serves 4-6

Mia Jacobs

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Ingredients

    Roasted cauliflower:
  • 1 large cauliflower
  • 4 tbspolive oil
  • 200gsoy yoghurt
  • 1/2 tsptable salt
  • 1 tbspsumac
  • 1 tspground cumin
  • 1lemon, zest
  • 60gground almonds
  • 2garlic cloves
    • Spring onion and mint oil:
  • 115mlolive oil
  • 1 bunchspring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
  • 4star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 tspsmoked paprika
  • 1/2 tspdried mint
  • 2 tbspaleppo chilli flakes
  • 25g pistachio, toasted and roughly chopped
  • 1/4 tspsalt
  • 1/2 tbspagave
  • 1 tbsplemon juice plus zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsproughly chopped mint
    • Ajo Blanco:
  • 70gground almonds 5 tbsp water
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 tspsherry vinegar
  • 25mlolive oil
  • 2 tsplemon juice
  • 1/2 tspsalt

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.

Method

  • 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. 

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    Mia Jacobs

    Mia Jacobs

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    Mia is a self-taught cook with an obsession with street food and an absolute hatred for parsnips. Before joining Twisted Green, Mia founded an online vegan cooking school in the midst of the global pandemic and began teaching people all over the world how to cook incredible vegan food from the comfort of their own homes. Her mission was, and still is, to help transform kitchens everywhere from a daunting space to one that’s filled with the irresistible aroma of frying garlic, and some very special plant-based grub. She also believes that crisps and hummus are a gift to humanity.

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