Pan-roasted Cauliflower with Saffron Butter

DIFFICULTY
Average Average
PREP TIME
Under 30 Min. Under 30 Min.
COOK TIME
Under 1 Hr. Under 1 Hr.
SERVES
2-4 2-4
Anna Jones
Pan-roasted Cauliflower with Saffron Butter
“Cooking vegetables like this (pan roasting) happens a lot in restaurant kitchens but it’s a good thing to do at home too. You get the vegetables going in the pan, building up a bit of colour and texture, then blast them in the oven to cook through; they get some direct heat and char from the hob, then come more mellow even heat from the oven. I love adding vinegar when I am cooking vegetables and it’s balanced here by the sweetness of the cauliflower, saffron and pine nuts. This recipe is inspired by the brilliant cook, Lola DeMille.” – Anna Jones
Main INGREDIENTS
  • Vegetables
Ingredients
Method

Ingredients

FOR THE YOGHURT
  • A small bunch of mint and/or parsley, finely chopped
  • 6 tablespoons thick Greek yoghurt or yoghurt of your choice
  • A drizzle of good olive oil
FOR THE CAULIFLOWER
  • Olive oil
  • 1 large cauliflower (about 800g), florets separated, and stalks finely sliced
  • 50ml white wine vinegar
  • A good pinch of saffron strands (or ½ teaspoon ground turmeric)
  • 50g butter or vegan butter, cubed
  • A small bunch of parsley and/or coriander, roughly chopped
TO SERVE
  • 4 flatbreads
  • A good pinch of sumac or Aleppo chilli
  • 150g pine nuts, toasted

  • Method

  • 1
    Oven temperature, to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7.
  • 2
    Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7.
  • 3
    Mix the mint and/or parsley and yoghurt in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, stir in a splash of olive oil, then set aside.
  • 4
    Heat your 26cm Le Creuset Square Grillit® over medium heat, add a good glug of olive oil, then add the cauliflower in a single layer (you may need to cook it in a few batches).
  • 5
    Once all your cauliflower is browned on both sides (this will take about 10 minutes), put the lot back into the pan and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, until the stalks are soft and the florets crisp.
  • 6
    Remove the Grillit® from the oven using an oven or handle glove, then put it back on the hob over a medium heat, add the vinegar and saffron or turmeric then reduce the vinegar for about 2 minutes.
  • 7
    Take off the heat, add the butter, toss the cauliflower in it to create a thick and glossy sauce, then stir through most of the parsley and/or coriander.
  • 8
    Spoon the yoghurt into a shallow serving bowl and use the back of a spoon to swirl it over the bottom, then tumble the buttery cauliflower in.
  • 9
    Finish with the last bit of parsley, the pine nuts and some sumac, and serve with flatbreads.