Roasted whole cauliflower with wakame butter and toasted crumbs

Name: Roasted whole cauliflower with wakame butter and toasted crumbs
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 1 cauliflower (800gm); 50 gm mild pancetta, finely diced; 2 tsp grapeseed oil; 20 gm (1 tbsp) butter; 70 gm coarse breadcrumbs from day-old spelt or rye sourdough (see note); To serve: lemon wedges; 30 gm wakame (see note); 150 gm butter, softened; 1 garlic clove, crushed

Recipe for roasted whole cauliflower with wakame butter and toasted crumbs.

May 24, 2015 2:00pm

By Lisa Featherby

Serves 6
30 mins preparation
35 mins cooking plus soaking

Roasted whole cauliflower with wakame butter and toasted crumbs

Make your favourite vegetable a part of your roasting repertoire. This recipe is inspired by the wood-roasted cauliflower at Sydney's Ester restaurant. We've lathered ours with wakame butter and toasted breadcrumbs laced with pancetta - it's a delicious combination.

Ingredients

1 cauliflower (800gm)
50 gm mild pancetta, finely diced
2 tsp grapeseed oil
20 gm (1 tbsp) butter
70 gm coarse breadcrumbs from day-old spelt or rye sourdough (see note)
To serve: lemon wedges

Wakame butter

30 gm wakame (see note)
150 gm butter, softened
1 garlic clove, crushed

Method

Main

1
For wakame butter, rehydrate wakame in a bowl of cold water (10-15 minutes). Drain and squeeze excess water from wakame, then finely chop, transfer to a food processor with butter and garlic, and process until smooth. Refrigerate until required.
2
Preheat oven to 220C. Steam cauliflower in a large steamer over a saucepan of simmering water until a knife can just be pierced through without too much resistance (6-8 minutes). Transfer to a roasting pan, spread a quarter of the wakame butter over and roast until golden brown and tender (20-25 minutes).
3
Meanwhile, fry pancetta in oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat until golden (2-4 minutes). Add butter to pan, then add breadcrumbs and stir until toasted (2-4 minutes). Season to taste.
4
Spread remaining wakame butter over the cauliflower, scatter with pancetta and crumbs and serve with lemon wedges.

Notes

Note If your bread is fresh, dry it out first in a low-temperature oven. Dried wakame is available from delicatessens and Asian grocers.
Drink Suggestion: Amber-hued skin-contact white. Drink suggestion by Max Allen