Roasted Cauliflower: High Heat and Whole Spice

The whole roasted cauliflower — taken to deep colour, seasoned with cumin, coriander, and turmeric, served with tahini — became one of Ottolenghi's signature contributions to the mainstream vegetable repertoire. It demonstrated that cauliflower treated with the same respect as a primary protein — seasoned deeply, roasted at genuine heat — produces a result with complexity and satisfaction far beyond what the ingredient's reputation had suggested.

Cauliflower florets or a whole head roasted at high heat (220°C+) with cumin, coriander, turmeric, and olive oil until deeply coloured at the edges and nutty throughout. The high heat caramelises the floret surfaces while the interior remains tender.

Roasted spiced cauliflower against cold tahini sauce is one of the cleanest expressions of the contrast principle in Ottolenghi's cooking — hot against cold, caramelised against creamy, spiced against neutral. The cauliflower needs nothing more than the sauce and possibly pomegranate seeds for acid punctuation.