Spoon & Whisk
Roasted Cauliflower with Brown Butter

Roasted Cauliflower with Brown Butter
Serves 4-6
(Depending how big the cauliflower is and how your serving it)

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When you roast a cauliflower, it develops caramel-nutty flavors that are beautifully enhanced by the flavor of the browned butter. This robust dish can be the centerpiece of a vegetarian meal or a side for roasted meat. It’s also a good substitute for roasted potatoes if you’re looking to reduce your carb intake. The cauliflower needs to cook for more than an hour, with the butter added toward the end of the cooking and used as a finishing baste.

1 cauliflower
1 tablespoon canola oil
6 tablespoons/85 grams butter, at room temperature or softened
Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 450 ° F/230°C/gas8 or 425°F/220°C/gas 7 if you’re concerned about smoke.

Cut off the stem of the cauliflower as close to the base as possible and remove any leaves that may still be attached. Rub the oil over the cauliflower.

Put the cauliflower in an appropriately sized ovenproof sauté pan or frying pan. Slide the pan into the oven and roast the cauliflower for 45 minutes. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and smear the butter over the surface. Sprinkle with a three-finger pinch of salt and return to the oven. Roast for another 30 minutes, basting the cauliflower a couple of times with the melted butter, until the cauliflower is well caramelized and tender; a knife inserted should meet no resistance. Slice and serve from the pan.

 

Ingredients

Trimming the Cauliflower

Oiling the Cauliflower

Ready for Roasting

Smearing with Butter

Cookbook