Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Roux and Pomegranate Sauce

Cauliflower is a good vegetable because it is a master collaborator. We should all know by now roasted cauliflower is a delicious vegetable with its deepness of caramelization and the slightly crispy bits. Pair roasted cauliflower with a sauce that boasts rich notes of toasted sesame and tart pomegranate that gives your cauliflower the unexpected twist. Top it with pomegranate seeds to bring out the frutiness of the sauce and give yourself a bit of texture.

Pair the cauliflower with nutmeg meatballs.

Roasted Cauliflower Ingredients
1 large pomegranate
4 lbs of cauliflower heads
6 Tbl high heat oil (avocado or grapeseed oil works well)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cloves
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp allspice
1 tsp coriander
1 Tbl sumac

Roasted Cauliflower Directions
Heat oven to 425.

Clean the pomegranate. Housekeeping tip: Clean the pomegranate in a bowl in a clean sink. It helps prevent splatters from going everywhere. Slice the fruit in half around the equator. Put the fruit flesh side down on the tips of your fingers and place your thumbs on top. Apply pressure on your thumbs while rotating your wrist outward. You want to crack the skin just a little. Rotate the fruit 90 degrees and repeat. Rest the flesh cut side down your non-dominant hand. With your dominant hand, use a wooden spoon and whack the pomegranate. Seeds should start falling out. Keep whacking until most of the seeds are out. Pick the remaining seeds out with your fingers.

Take a knife and remove the green leaves and slice of the dry end of the stark. Take your knife and cut the florets off just below its bushy base. If the florets are large, slice them in half down the length (you want the bushy part to remain connected to the stem). Put them on a large sheet pan.

Take the stalks and slice them into 2” long pieces. Stand it on its end and cut into thirds for the larger diameter stalks and into half for the smaller stalks. Add it to the pile on the sheet pan. Make sure the vegetable is in a tight pile

Drizzle 6 Tbl oil on top of the cauliflower.

In a small saucer, mix together ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp cloves, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp allspice, 1 tsp coriander, and 1 Tbl sumac. Sprinkle all of it on top of the cauliflower. The pre-mixing helps to make sure you have even distribution.

Use your hands and toss the cauliflower. Divide it onto two sheet pans. Spread out the pieces. Pop them into the oven for 30-40 minutes. Some people will tell you to flip them halfway through. I find it an unnecessary step and hard to do. The edges will be dark brown when cooked.

Tahini Roux and Pomegranate Sauce Ingredients
¾ c tahini
1 tsp garlic (about 1 clove)
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp agave or honey
2 Tbl pomegranate molasses
5 Tbl red wine vinegar
1 c milk

Makes enough sauce to go with roasted cauliflower and nutmeg meatballs. If you’re only pairing it with cauliflower, cut the sauce amounts in half.

See the Nutmeg Meatballs with Tahini Roux and Pomegranate Sauce post for directions.

Assemble
Spoon the sauce on the bottom of the plate. Add the roasted cauliflower on top and sprinkle pomegranate seeds on top. You want to have enough pomegranate to include in every bite.

Notes
Use any high heat oil you like.

If you don’t have sumac, you can sprinkle a little lemon zest on the cauliflower after it’s cooked.

There’s plenty of flavor going on with the sauce so you can also omit spices if you don’t have them.