Whole Pot-Roasted Cauliflower With Tomatoes and Anchovies
- Total Time
- About 1 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), white, green or Romanesco
- 5tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 3medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 3whole salt-packed anchovies, rinsed and filleted, or 5 to 6 anchovy fillets
- ¾teaspoon finely chopped rosemary leaves
- 1½cups drained whole canned tomatoes, trimmed of hard and unripe bits, diced
- ¼cup dry white wine, plus extra for cooking
- 3dried pequin chiles, or 3 large pinches red pepper flakes
- 1teaspoon flaky salt, like Maldon, or kosher salt
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
162 calories; 13 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 425 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 450 degrees.
- Step 2
Trim any wilted leaves and brown bits off the cauliflower, but leave healthy leaves. Put the cauliflower on its side on a cutting board. As if coring a tomato, core the base of the cauliflower: insert a small sharp knife about 1 inch into the base of the stem, make a circular cut to loosen the cone-shaped core, then pry it out and discard.
- Step 3
In a deep, heavy ovenproof pot (with a lid), large enough to hold the whole cauliflower, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower cored side up; it should sizzle. Brown the exterior, turning it occasionally with tongs for even browning. This should take about 5 minutes; reduce the heat as needed to prevent scorching. Carefully turn over and brown the other side lightly, about 2 minutes.
- Step 4
Remove the cauliflower to a plate and add garlic, anchovies and rosemary to the pot. Stir until garlic is golden, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, white wine, chiles and salt. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Return cauliflower to pot, cored side down. Baste with the tomato liquid and pile some of the solids on top. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes to thicken the tomatoes.
- Step 5
Cover the pot, place in the oven and roast until tender, 30 to 45 minutes; a knife will go into the thick stems with almost no resistance. Check on the tomato sauce every 10 minutes or so; it should be punchy and intense but not too thick, so add a glug of wine if it seems to be getting too dry.
- Step 6
Transfer the cauliflower head to a serving plate or shallow bowl and cut in half, quarters or thick slices. Spoon on all the tasty stuff left in the pot. Add a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of herbs. Serve immediately or at room temperature, passing salt and red pepper flakes at the table.
Private Notes
Comments
Lucky mistake . . . As a result of misreading the recipe, I first browned the cauliflower in the oven at 450 degrees, not on the stovetop. When it was browned, I brought it all up to the stovetop to saute the garlic, anchovies, etc. Then I placed everything back into the oven to continue braising. Voila--no dirty stovetop, and the cauliflower was tender and delicious! I also used thyme (instead of rosemary) for a more delicate flavor. Great recipe for a weeknight side dish!
Browning it was a drag. I liked how it looked with the browning but my stove looked ghastly when I was done with that part of the recipe. Good grief. How I hate to clean that stove top. Maybe I'll just cut it up in quarter and try it. Balancing a 2 pound cauliflower with tongs is not for the faint of heart. Pop, pop, pop. Oil everywhere.
Smells good in the oven, though.
I've made this dish twice and it was delicious both times. The second time I had a vegetarian guest so replaced the anchovies with 2 tablespoons of white miso, which worked very well.
I mostly followed the recipe except I browned the cauliflower in the oven as noted by other comments and replaced diced with canned cherry tomatoes. Everything else was exactly followed and it was delicious. Once it was fully cooked I topped half of it with a piece of grouper for dinner for hubby and me and added a half can of chickpeas to the other half for lunch another day. Definitely a keeper. Now I have to find April’s cookbook to see what other vegetable centric recipes we can enjoy.
Have made this twice now, both times the cauliflower fell apart by the end but no one minded. Also didn’t bother draining the canned tomatoes, just crushed whole ones in the can and added with all the juices. Served with farro and Parmesan. Unbelievably flavorful!
Five stars, husband said its fhe most interesting dish he’d had in a long time. Practical notes: Made with olives bc I was too lazy to find anchovies. I cooked the cauliflower in slow cooker 3 hours prior to roasting bc we don’t have a stove. Turned out great even not following instructions exactly 👍