Posted on

23 June 2015

by

Francesa Verrucci

1 medium head cauliflower, divided into florets

1 large red onion, sliced

50 g sultanas

70 g green olives, pitted and cut in quarters (half if small) lengthways

½ tsp saffron strands, crushed and infused in 3 tbsp of boiling water

3 tbsp olive oil

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper

flat-leaf parsley, only leaves, roughly chopped

Tahini sauce

75 ml tahini paste

75 ml water

40 ml lemon juice

1 cloves garlic, crushed

Salt

Serves 2 to 3

1

Preheat the oven to 200° C (400°F).
2

In a large mixing bowl, toss together all the ingredients except the parsley.
3

Transfer the mix into a baking dish, on an even layer, cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 25 minutes.
4

Remove from the oven, carefully lift off the foil and stir. At this point you can cover again and finish off cooking for another 20 minutes or, if you like a more browned cauliflower return into the oven without the foil (in this case you have to check every 10 minutes and, if necessary, give the mixture a stir if you don't want it burns).
5

The cauliflower is ready when tender but not too soft.
6

Remove from the oven, if necessary lift off the foil covering, and leave to cool down a little before stirring in the chopped parsley.
7

Taste, adjust the seasoning if necessary and serve warm or at room temperature.
8

I like to serve it with some tahini sauce: you can drizzle a little on top or serve it in a bowl so that your guests can help themselves according to their liking.
9

How to make the tahini sauce: in a bowl whisk together tahini paste, water, lemon juice, garlic and a pinch of salt. The mixture should be creamy, if too thick add more water. It is also possible to blend ingredients using a food processor.