I was inspired to create this whole roasted cauliflower recipe after a dish I had at Birba Restaurant in Palm Springs, California. This casual indoor/outdoor Italian eatery serves amazing food. In addition to their Roasted Whole Cauliflower our favorites were Nonna's Meatballs, Tricolore Salad, Birba Pizza and Butterscotch Pudding for dessert.  

  I have roasted whole cauliflower many times, but have not been satisfied with the outcome. Birba's whole roasted cauliflower is absolutely delicious so I picked our waiter's brain to try and figure out their secret. He gave me one important tip that makes total sense. They coat their cauliflower in mayonnaise before they roast it. This step is important as it is very easy to wind up with an undercooked interior and an overcooked exterior. Many people cringe at the thought of mayonnaise, but it is important to remember what goes into mayo; at its most basic mayonnaise is simply an emulsion of eggs and oil. Nothing creepy about that! Thomas Keller of the French Laundry makes his Thanksgiving Turkey with a heavy coating of mayonnaise before he roasts it. The mayo keeps the bird moist and tender. I incorporated this trick into our Spatchcocked Turkey recipe and have loved the outcome. The mayonnaise protects the outside of the turkey and it does the same for the outside of the cauliflower. Mayo allows you to slow cook the cauliflower in the oven and then finish with a hot broil without burning the outside.

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Two Methods for Slow Cooking the Cauliflower

The cauliflower is slow cooked to achieve a tender inside then blasted under the broiler to get a nice finish. After much trial and error I have come up with two methods of slow cooking the cauliflower.

Method 1: Slow Cooked in the Oven

 

  I start by slathering the cauliflower with mayo and seasoning it with salt, pepper and maybe some Spanish smoked paprika.  

  I slow roast the cauliflower at 300 degrees F for about an hour, although the time varies by the size of the cauliflower. This method works well,  but did not achieve the consistently tender inside I was striving for. It is still very good and I think you will be happy with the results, but I discovered a method I like even more.

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Method 2: Sous Vide

To really nail a tender inside I recommend cooking the cauliflower sous vide. This achieves an edge to edge consistently tender cauliflower with no hard spots.  

  You can sous vide whole cauliflower using a gallon plastic zip bag and the displacement method to remove the air from the bag, or better yet, if you are planning on exploring sous vide as a cooking method, I recommend investing in a vacuum sealer. Vacuum sealers do a great job at eliminating the air and keeping the bag tightly sealed. I also recommend investing in some sous vide weights to keep the bags submerged. This is particularly important for vegetables like cauliflower that are not heavy enough to stay submerged.  

Finishing the Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Whether you slow roast in the oven or sous vide, this cauliflower is finished under the broiler and then garnished with a little good olive oil, parmesan shavings and capers. If you like this whole roasted cauliflower as much as my family does, I'm betting this will become a regular item in your recipe rotation.   Print