Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic Butter

The Story

Whole roasted cauliflower is one of the most dramatically satisfying things you can bring to a table. The exterior chars and crisps; the interior steams in its own moisture and the added stock; the E-1 GSP's garlic-salt-pepper profile penetrates the outer layers and perfumes the steam that cooks the inside. It looks like the centerpiece of the meal because it is.

Instructions

1. Season and Prep. Mix olive oil, E-1 GSP, minced garlic, and melted butter into a paste. Work this paste over every surface of the cauliflower — get it between the florets and into every crevice you can reach. Let it sit for 20 minutes at room temperature to begin penetrating.
2. Roast. Place the cauliflower in a Dutch oven or deep baking dish. Pour stock around the base — not over the head, just around it to create steam. Cover tightly with foil and roast at 400°F for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and roast an additional 25–30 minutes until the exterior is deeply charred and a skewer slides through the center with no resistance.
3. Rest and Serve. Rest 10 minutes. Bring the whole head to the table and carve it there — cut it into wedges like a roast. Finish with flaky sea salt and a squeeze of lemon. The interior should be almost custardy. The exterior should crack.

Pro Tips

• The covered phase steams the interior; the uncovered phase chars the exterior. Both stages are required. Skipping the foil phase gives you a burned outside and raw inside. Do both.