Maple-Dijon Roasted Whole Cauliflower with Cider Pan Gravy
Give this simply elegant whole-roasted cauliflower center stage on your table. Maple syrup and dijon mustard meld into a golden outer crust as the cauliflower slowly roasts over a bed of vegetables and apple cider, perfuming your kitchen with savory aromas. Carve the roast and pour the silky pan-juice gravy made tableside for an extra-special presentation. (Photo source: Jared Kent)
| Yield: 4 servings | Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes |
Ingredients
Maple-dijon rub
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
3 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 shallot, halved
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 sprigs rosemary
zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt to taste
Roasted cauliflower
1 large head cauliflower, with the leaves and stem kept on
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, diced into large chunks
2 carrots, peeled and diced into large chunks
2 stalks of celery, diced into large chunks
3 cloves garlic
1 red apple, diced into large chunks
10 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
2 cups apple cider
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Cider pan gravy
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups vegetable stock
Garnish
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
Preparation
For the maple-dijon rub
Combine all of the ingredients for the rub in blender or food processor. Blend together until smooth and season to taste with salt.
For the roasted cauliflower
Preheat the oven to 425F. Spread the oil in the bottom of a large cast iron skillet. Arrange the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, apple, thyme, and bay leaf in the skillet. Take the rub and generously slather over the cauliflower, being sure to get the rub under the leaves. You should have plenty of rub leftover which you’ll use to baste the cauliflower as it cooks.
Pour the apple cider and the vinegar into the pan. Put the pan on the stove and bring the liquid up to a simmer. Place the cauliflower on top of the vegetables and put the pan into the oven.
Roast the cauliflower for an hour, taking it out of the oven every 20 minutes to brush some additional rub all over the top and outside.
After roasting, the cauliflower should be golden brown, crispy and slightly soft. You should be able to easily pierce the cauliflower with a small knife and remove the knife without resistance.
Once the cauliflower is cooked, remove it from the pan and place it onto a baking sheet. Turn the oven off and put the cauliflower back into the warm oven to keep it warm while you make the gravy.
For the cider pan gravy
To make the gravy, heat the roasting pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Once the remaining cooking liquid comes up to a boil, add the flour and stir, cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to ensure all the flour is absorbed and the rawness is cooked out. The flour should be slightly brown and have a nutty, popcorn-like smell.
Add the vegetable stock to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the gravy is thick enough to coat back of a spoon. Strain the gravy through a fine-mesh strainer into a small pot. Season the gravy to taste with salt and pepper and keep warm. Save the vegetables to serve alongside the cauliflower.
For serving
Remove the cauliflower from the oven and place onto a cutting board or a serving platter. Slice into quarters and serve with a ladle-full of the gravy and a scoop of the roasted vegetables. Sprinkle a little parsley over each quarter.
Note
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can use any large oven-safe pan to roast the cauliflower. If not, you can use a baking pan and transfer the roasted vegetables to a pan to make the gravy.
Zero-waste tips
• Save the peels from the carrots and onions to make vegetable stock.
• Feel free to add other vegetables you may have on hand to the roasting pan. Mushrooms, diced tomatoes, fennel, and parsnips are just a few examples of veggies that will make your gravy more delicious!
