Chef Eyal Shani doesn’t hide his love of cauliflower: the vegetable is proudly displayed throughout his pita-focused Israeli street-food eatery Miznon. The store in Melbourne is Shani’s first in Australia and sixth in the world, with others located in Israel, Paris, New York and Vienna.
Aside from the pitas, Miznon’s main side event is a simple baby cauliflower. It’s roasted whole (leaves and all) with a bit of olive oil and served on paper to share.
Ingredients
Baby cauliflower, all leaves still attached (about 20cm in diameter)
Olive oil
Atlantic sea salt
Method
Preheat oven to the highest temperature possible.
Heat a large pot of water on high heat (ensure the pot is large enough to fit the whole cauliflower).
Add Atlantic sea salt to the water (70 grams salt for every litre of water) and bring to a boil.
Once water is boiling, lower in the cauliflower, flower side down.
Boil the cauliflower for 7 to 10 minutes. It’s ready when you lightly press the cauliflower and it just starts to give in. It’s not entirely soft yet, but lost its firmness.
Take the cauliflower out of the water and let it cool down to room temperature.
While the cauliflower is cooling down, ensure the oven is heated.
Place the cauliflower onto a cooking tray. Lightly dip your hands in olive oil, and pet the cauliflower to disperse it evenly.
Sprinkle a touch of Atlantic sea salt over the cauliflower and then place it into the oven.
Cook until golden brown. The cauliflower should be very tender by this stage.
When serving, drizzle a little more olive oil and sprinkle a little more salt to finish off the dish.
